As The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe comes to a close, so does Edmund’s redemption arc. His scrimmage with evil has led him to wisdom he did not have before. It is thanks to Edmund, and his knowledge of the White Witch, that Aslan’s army is even able to begin to overcome her army before Aslan’s arrival and rescue. Edmund is even willing to risk his life to do so, following the example of Aslan while also doing something he would have never dared to do before. Aslan’s conversation, as we saw previously, has led to a deep growth in Edmund. In this chapter, we learn that this change undoes the damage done to Edmund by the world in boarding school. All we have known of Edmund from the start of this book is that he is very spiteful and mean, but he apparently was not always that way. Edmund’s journey in Narnia helps to restore and strengthen the goodness that was once there so that he can be an even better person than he could have been otherwise. Jesus does the same for us. Finally, we learn that Edmund, as he grows older, “was a graver and quieter man than Peter, and great in council and judgement. He was called King Edmund the Just.” Edmund not only learned, grew, and changed, but he also took all his experience to become a better leader and better serve Narnia by his growth. The hope for us all is that we will do the same. Think back to the great leaders of our Faith, such as Peter and Paul. They were deeply flawed and, in the case of Paul, enemies to the Faith at one point in time. In the end, though, they took that experience and became better servants of Christ as a result. Would that we would follow their examples and Edmund’s. At the end of the journey, Aslan disappears from the celebration after the children are crowned rulers of Narnia. When they notice His absence, the children are reminded of Mr. Beaver’s words before and how Aslan “doesn’t like being tied down” and how he is “wild” and “Not like a tame lion.”
Aslan’s disappearance is like Jesus’ Ascension. It doesn’t mean He isn’t there, just that we can't see Him right in front of us in the same way. Aslan's leaving is also a reminder of how God often leaves things up to us, as opposed to God doing everything solo. We have seen Aslan do the same by letting Peter handle the White Witch's wolf and by His waiting until the children came to fulfill their destiny before returning. Again, this is not to say that Aslan is not still there, which will become a point of discussion in Prince Caspian.
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The Rev. Trey KennedyHere is my take on how Superheroes and other characters can help us know God better. Categories
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