The Chronicles of C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of C.S. Lewis

By Jonathan Aquino

Saturday Stories

June 1, 2019

I

One of the most touching stories I have seen is "Shadowlands" from Richard Attenborough, the director of "Gandhi" which is one of the greatest movies in history. It is set in 1950s England, and the rural countryside with its rolling hills and complete absence of people is one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. The star is Anthony Hopkins, and he is the great author C.S. Lewis, and everything is just ... perfect.

II

Clive Staples Lewis was a writer, theologian, and member of the faculty at Oxford University in England from 1925 to the 1954 along with his close friend J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy. Lewis was a devout Christian, and he has written more than 30 books which included religious writings. But he is most famous and beloved by generations for his children's fiction, among which is the seven-book "The Chronicles of Narnia."

III

The first in the series is "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," published in 1950, and set in 1940 at the outbreak of the war. The Pevensie children – Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy – had been sent to live in a mansion in the country to avoid the air raids in London. As they went exploring the big house, Lucy saw a wardrobe, which is like a big closet, and it leads to a magical place called Narnia where animals and trees can talk, and where there are unicorns and centaurs and satyrs and fauns and other enchanted creatures.

IV

But Narnia was being ruled by Jadis, the White Witch, who said, "Winter is coming!" – no, she didn't say that. I've read the book and have seen the movie version (of course) and the Witch is The Ancient One who had taught Doctor Strange the mystic arts so she is very powerful. Only Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy can stop her, but they need the help of Aslan, a lion who speaks like Ra's al Ghul and the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Jadis invokes an ancient law which states that she could lawfully kill Edmund. Aslan saved the boy by offering himself instead. Lewis had always said that Aslan is a metaphor for Jesus Christ. He gave his life so that others may live, and when it seemed that all is lost, he came back. And everytime they call out to him, he would always come.

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