While few Christians may have read all seven books in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, a vast majority are familiar with the second book in the series.
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. What an interesting name to those who may not have heard it before. I will not spend much time summarizing the plot of this fairy tale, which has threads of Christian theology throughout. It tells the tale of four siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy– who leave for the English countryside during air raids in London during WWII. They stay at the large house of a distinguished professor and find a magic wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek that leads them to another world, the world of Narnia.
Narnia is a magical world, with fauns, talking animals and centaurs and a white witch holding the whole of the realm under her dictatorship. The white which, who represents Satan, tricks the young boy Edmund into betraying his siblings and all of what is good in Narnia. In the story, there is a lion named Aslan (who represents Christ) who comes to save Edmund—and all of Narnia–from the clutches of the white witch.
There is no way to capture the power of the story without reading it. Even theatrical and movie depictions cannot do justice to the way Lewis brings the character of Christ to life, as well as the meaning of his atoning death.
In an age that admires non-Christian fantasy books, parents, children and people of any age would do better to read this first installment of the Narnia series. Not only is it well written, it turns our hearts to eternal matters. Skeptics who have their guard up against any preaching or ordinary ministry may find that they can best hear God’s voice where they least expected to – in a children’s book.