Narnia’s Wisdom: Fear, Love, and the Beauty of Worship
By Dean Collins
Having grandchildren gives one a good reason to re-read books that you read years ago. And if you need some sort of permission to enjoy a movie geared towards kids, you have a free pass to do so. Just last week, Penny and I had a conversation with two of our grandchildren about the Chronicles of Narnia. They were just a chapter away from finishing The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. We discussed Aslan, in particular.
A few days later, a third grandchild spent the night and wanted to watch the movie version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I have both read the book and watched the movie several times. One of my favorite passages is a conversation that Susan has with Mr. Beaver. Susan had just learned that Aslan wasn’t a person, but rather, was a lion.
"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
In the book and the film, the children experience the loving tenderness of Aslan, but they also hear his roar, see him display his power, and have firm conversations about mistakes that the children have made. They have an appropriate fear or reverence for Aslan, while also experiencing the tenderness of his sacrificial love for them and for all the creatures of Narnia, including every creature and every tree.
Maybe Solomon was trying to make a similar point in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. The first two verses read:
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth."
And verse 7 states: “…but God is the one you must fear.”
In Old Testament times, and even now, we often are rather careless about how we approach God. God wants his children to come to him easily. Paul said that we can call out to “Abba, Father because we have been adopted as his children through the sacrifice of Christ. And yet the author of Hebrews reminds us that our God is a consuming fire:
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
The wise king reminds us that when we enter God’s presence, the best path is to come first to listen more than to speak. I suspect that, like me, we usually have that reversed. We come to God in prayer with a long list of requests, and sometimes, we also have the courage to bring our complaints. But maybe prayer is best begun in silent acknowledgment that we are aware that God is with us, in us, and present in our lives, now and throughout the day.
This same caution might apply to Sunday mornings and other church gatherings. We come in community to worship God. I wonder how many times we take the time to look around at worship and thank God for the community he has created for us to be a part of in the moment and in eternity?
Solomon expanded his thoughts to include that, in general, it is better to be cautious about just being busy trying to do God’s work. And we might want to slow down how quickly we tell God what we are going to do. If we are not careful, we might just make liars out of ourselves, because we haven’t really considered the cost of what we are offering God.
In the New Testament, we learn that now we are God’s temple. He dwells in us as believers, and when we assemble with other Christians, it is a community indwelling of God’s spirit. Together we are the church, the body of Christ. We should therefore be careful about our attitudes toward each other as brothers and sisters. If the world sees us fighting with or ignoring each other, we are sending a message that God’s plans are not working. Don’t get me wrong; God will fulfill his plans. But when we fight and argue and are not united as brothers and sisters, we may very well be blocking someone from discovering God’s love.
Our God is powerful, and at the same time, he beckons us to come to him and trust him completely. So today, as you pray, take a moment to be silent before him. Acknowledge his presence and listen. Some prayers may be best when our words are few. And next time you pull in the parking lot at the worship center, maybe take a moment to ask God to quiet your mind and heart, that you might experience him not only in the worship songs and the sermon, but also in the community he has placed around you.
Father, today we choose silence first. Speak to us now…
Your Time with God’s Word
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV
Photo by Tim Alex on Unsplash
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