There are no accidents - C. S. Lewis

“'Don't you mind him,' said Puddleglum. 'There are no accidents. Our guide is Aslan.'“      C.S. Lewis in The Silver Chair

Yesterday marked 50 years since the death of Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly called C. S. Lewis, creator of Narnia-series among other titles.

Narnia was for me, as for countless number of other children, a huge discovery when I was a child. A fantasy world where children were taken seriously and could go adventuring and do important things that mattered.

It was another huge discovery when, as an adolescent, I found out that C. S. Lewis was actually a Christian, a beliver, just like me. And Aslan was Narnia's Jesus who died for them.

It was incredible to find an interesting Christian author, someone witty, who had his own voice and ideas.

As a youth I read the Screwtape Letters and Science Fiction series. But I always returned to Narnia and it's magical world.

For me Narnia and Lewis were a big part of the reason I wanted to write books, like to many other authors amongst who are very many great authors of our time.

I find in my heart a need to explore my own worlds, create my own fantasy, fight my own battles and live my own adventure.

As an adult I have grown to love the books even more. And I have found Lewis again as a Christian author, an acknowledged apologetic writer.

I have been watching the movies with my son (athough they really aren't as good as the books) and reading the books to my son.

“Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair 

But why would a children's author matter to me? Why would he keep intriguing me, even thought I'm an adult? In what way could he be relevant to my growth as an adult Christian?

Here again Lewis comes to my rescue, as he says: “'Don't you mind him,' said Puddleglum. 'There are no accidents. Our guide is Aslan.'“ C.S. Lewis in The Silver Chair. One of my most beloved characters from the books, an oddly positively pessimistic marswiggle Puddleglum.
When I was a child I didn't really like Silver Chair, I found it weird and disturbing. Puddleglum was just uncomprehensive for me, he said to be an optimist but he behaved like a pessimist but then he would be an optimist.

"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things - trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

At an age when you wanted the things to be safe and one thing and not another, it was just too hard to comprehend. Now I have grown to love the book and especially Puddleglum. I think he is right. I shouldn't mind what my reasoning says or the world or other people. Since Jesus is my guide, there are no accidents. There is a reason for me to keep dwelling in these children's books.

I think there are bigger thruths hidden here than what meets the eye at the beginning. C. S. Lewis writes in The Silver Chair, "Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things - trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one.”― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair.

And I have found this the perfect explanation for my yearning for Heaven. Suppose we just made God up, suppose we invented Heaven. Then this made-up world really seems more important to me than the one we live in. This world just doesn't fill my yearning like Heaven and God do.
We shouldn't let ourselves to be fooled by supposed "childishness" of Narnia books.
 Hidden among the adventure there are gems for the Christian heart, mind and soul. When I try to explain why we seek God, why we have such a yearning for Him and why we find Him and others do not. What does Lewis say about it:“You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you," said the Lion.”― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair.

For those who were deprived of this joyful experience as child, Aslan is a lion, or The Lion, Jesus of Narnia.

I have learned many things from Narnia. I'm a very independant person, too much so even. And it is hard for me to take advice from someone else. Even from God, I'm sad to admit. So life has been hard for me. I have fought and I have cried. But, again, in Lewis' words: Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair.

And Narnia books have been there to help me to decide what it is that I will do.

Just in case someone is thinking that I read C. S. Lewis and Narnia like Bible, this isn't so. Bible is much more important than any other book and so is reading it much more important than reading any other book. There just isn't anything like it in the whole world.

“I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia.”-- C.S. Lewis in The Silver Chair

 But you must admit that Bible isn't easy to understand. Especially for a child. And this is why good Christian children's literature is so important. There are so many things I have been able to lean on to in Narnia.

When I was teased and bantered in Jr High School and High School because of my Christianity I could say like Lewis: “I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia.”-- C.S. Lewis in The Silver Chair.

“I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer.
"I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
There is no other stream," said the Lion.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair 

There was something in my heart that said, no matter the hurt, no matter the words, no matter what they say, I know my God exists, I know He loves me and even if it's just a dream and they don't understand it and believe it, it is such a magnificent dream that I will keep believing it. Because without it there is no reason to live on.

There are many gems in Narnia books where Lewis has gone his way to explain us, the children, what the Bible and Jesus meant.

There is a place in Silver Chair where the main characters find themselves underground with nothing to drink, hot and thirsty. And then Jill, a girl, just like me, finds herself in front of a stream and a lion.

People like me who had read the other books knew, of course, that the lion was Aslan. And he would never hurt Jill. But this was her first time in Narnia and the first time she met Aslan. So, she couldn't know this.

Outside the conversation seems pretty normal. “I daren't come and drink," said Jill. Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion. Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then." There is no other stream," said the Lion.”― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair.

A girl looking for something to drink in a cave and the lion tells her that there is no other stream around. But as a Christian you know that this isn't all. Aslan is the stream, like Jesus is the living water. There is no other water that will take your thirst away.

It has been 50 years since C. S. Lewis passed away but his books still live among us. He still has many things to say to us and those things are as current as when he lived. I thank him for reflecting God's glory and letting me peak at it when I needed it.

“You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you," said the Lion.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

If you enjoyed this post about C. S. Lewis's work, you might also like another post about his Narnia books, here.

Haven't read the books yet but would love to? Or you would like to refresh your memory?

Amazon has the books in an amazing price.

 

 You can get the movie, too. At a very comfortable price.

 

I also recomend C. S. Lewis's more adult work.