Pastor's Pen: Christmas in Narnia

When I was young, one of my favorite books was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. At the time, I had no idea that the author was using the story as a Christian allegory. Only later did I realize that Lewis was using the tropes of fairy tales and fantasy to give insight into Christ’s redemption of the world.

On the surface, the story is about four children from our world entering the magical world of Narnia. The problem is that Narnia is being held hostage by a horrible witch. By her magic, she has made it winter in Narnia. As one of the characters says, "always winter but never Christmas." Under the snow, Narnia remained cold, frightened, and lifeless.

C.S. Lewis wanted to show that the power of the witch was breaking by depicting the arrival of Christmas. He especially wanted to have Father Christmas visit the children, bringing them presents for their journey. J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, advised his friend, Lewis, not to include the scene with Father Christmas. He felt that it would create confusion. Lewis rejected the advice of his friend. Christmas, including the arrival of Santa Claus, would come to Narnia. Personally, I agree with Lewis over Tolkien.

We don’t live in Narnia, but we are experienced with winter. We certainly understand chilling temperatures and a wind that cuts like a knife. The plants and trees become dormant, and the snow weighs heavily. We also recognize that winter is not dependent on the calendar. We have all experienced chilling seasons in our own lives. Those are the times when we are blown about by events, and a dreary melancholy dominates our moral, spiritual, and emotional landscape. Who wouldn’t welcome a visit from Father Christmas during these times?

That’s what the Christmas season is about. The people of Israel understood winter. They understood slavery and domination as they waited pensively for the Messiah. Christmas comes and demonstrates that winter is only for a season. The tyranny of winter is temporary. The birth, life, death, resurrection, and eventual return of Jesus assure us that our winters will break into spring. The White Witch of Narnia knows that if Christmas never comes, her rule will be permanent. But Christmas cannot be stopped.

Our God is on the move. Merry Christmas.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor James