Scripture Reflections

In re-reading CS Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew recently, I found myself identifying with Uncle Andrew—an uncomfortable experience! 
 
Uncle Andrew is a self-centered, power-grasping man whose experiments with magic land him and a few others in Narnia as Aslan is creating that world. Due to his fear and desire to keep control of what is utterly beyond his control or even understanding, Uncle Andrew’s experience of Narnia’s creation has little to do with reality. While Aslan is singing Narnia and its inhabitants into being and then bestowing the gift of speech on particular creatures, Uncle Andrew sees only wild animals and hears only roaring from Aslan and growls and screeches and the like from the talking animals. Some of these animals find Uncle Andrew and, thinking he might be a tree, try to plant him in the newly formed soil of Narnia, soil that is still bursting with life. As Aslan says, “The song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air and rumbles in the ground.”  While the animals debate which way up to plant him, Uncle Andrew is held upside down briefly, and the silver and gold pieces from his pockets are shaken out onto the ground. The next morning, those coins have grown into a tree of silver and another of gold, which are later used to forge the crowns for the first king and queen of Narnia. Uncle Andrew, however, has undergone no transformation beyond the muddying of his clothes and further souring of his disposition. 
 
When I look at my circumstances and nod along with the grumblings of my flesh, which can sound remarkably like Uncle Andrew, it’s tempting to think I’m facing reality. After all, the waves truly are huge, and I can’t navigate my boat through them anymore—the boat’s already filling with water! Uncle Andrew judged his experience of Narnia as if he were still in his own world; he’s shown to be a fool in the story because of course he isn’t in his own world anymore, he’s in Aslan’s world. You and I have a similar choice to make—will we judge our circumstances as if we are in the kingdom of this world, as if we are alone in our boat, or will we remember where we truly are and who is with us, in the kingdom of heaven with the King of heaven? We can cry out to the One who loves us, who brought us out of the domain of death and brought us into his glorious light—he is with us! And just as he did for the disciples in our reading from Mark 4:35-41, he will speak: “Peace! Be still!” Or, as he has spoken to us in Psalm 46: 
 
     “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
    The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.   
 
Every wind and every wave will someday be stilled and all their destruction be redeemed. Today, may your heart and mine respond to our Savior’s loving command, for he is with us and that truth changes the very world we live in. 
 
Hannah