4 replies to this topic

[Fireweed Trekker]

I note at this time while reading the Narnian Chronicles about the Colormenes, Puzzle the donkey, Shift the Ape, Ginger the Cat. Tash the god of the Colormenes is blended with Aslan of Narnia to produce Tashlan...which strikes me of Chrislam...hmmm.

Thoughts anyone...other than know what the Bible says and do not add or subtract from it.

[daburkett]

One facet of of C.S. Lewis's the Last Battle could be is the idea of true belief and false belief.

 

One thing that is sure is that all of us had false belief at one point as Paul says:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. (Ephesians 2:1-3).

 

C.S. Lewis lived in England a country which was "Christian" for many years and yet there were many who didn't believe. Perhaps he asked himself what would that look like in Narnia? Probably people of his day weren't making LorAllah or JesuBudah. But in their minds/philosophy they were saying that "God" can simply be reduced to what the religions hold in common. Just like people talk about today.

 

C.S. Lewis may be saying that when we make up our own neutral "God" we are actually elevating ourselves to "gods," pretending to speak for Him, and preventing people from finding Him.

 

It turns out that Narnia can become just like England. It truly is possible for deceit to enter slowly and take over. Jesus wasn't mistaken in the seriousness of the question will faith remain on the earth (Luke 18:8).

 

There are forces at work in our world and our hearts that can deaden our love (Matthew 24:12). In the Last Battle, a lack of wisdom and faith in Puzzle, a deceiver in Shift, and many who truly do not know Aslan (Ginger and evil dwarves) all contribute to an environment that deceives many.

 

In the final accounting not all Narnia are true Narnians just as Paul says not all Abraham's children are true children (Romans 9:6-8). Also, this matches AW Tozer's concern in the beginning of Knowledge of the Holy that we as believers can have a concept of God that is far beneath Him.

 

I'd love to hear more thoughts!

[bob wire]

how ofton have I wondered of my concept of God that is far beneath Him.or from :tHE PURSUIT OF god:
to most people God is a inference not a reality I sometimes fear i am going thru life trying to love a
n ideal and be loyal to a mere principle. oh to know realy know Him
bob

[Charles Miles]

I don`t read much C S Lewis anymore, but that is probably just me and my aversion to substituting animals and other creatures for deity.  I know, I know, the "Lion of Juda" does depict a similar picture, but I just can`t bring myself to start substituting dwarves, half animals and such things.  Once I read Knowledge of the Holy, God`s pursuit of Man, Destined for the Throne, What Happened between the Cross and the Throne, and The Cloud of Unknowing, I just have had trouble with allegory and excessive symbolism.  Again, that is probably just me.

 

We can`t ever know God as fully as we would wish, but we can know Him better than we have in the past....or at least I can and have been working at it.  How can we do this?  Well, He has told us who He is, many things He has done, and what He wants from us, so we can ask Him to reveal more of Himself to us as we read the Word and pray.  That is in no way to suggest that we can understand God, His thoughts, or His ways.

 

As I read and study, I learn that God has revealed Himself to different men in different degrees, but always never to contradict what He has shown before.  Noah, Moses, David, the prophets, the twelve, Paul, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and many others, all had an understanding of just who God is.  Some seemed to have huge revelations and some seemed to have smaller bits of knowledge given to them by the Father.  What did they have in common?  Well, they asked. Shouldn`t we all ask, ask again, and keep on asking...just to know Him better, to bask in His love, to enter His rest?

 

Please excuse my butting into the conversation here, but I just had a tug at my heart.

 

Your brother in Christ,

 

Charlie

[daburkett]

I really appreciate this discussion!!

 

A friend likes to talk about how he sees people coming to salvation in two ways. One is the seeking of knowledge about God and the other is seeing God revealed as a person serves (he was primarily speaking of church service projects).

 

For myself, I find it hugely helpful to be engaged on both fronts. So I try to be earnestly seeking the Lord through study of His Word and other books. And I also seek the Lord by living in a way that seeks to imitate His heart (Isaiah 58, Matthew 28:18-20).

 

Honestly, I find myself a bit cold when I cannot do both. I think that plays a role in the Last Battle as well. There is a danger in complacency. The characters wait around for God (Aslan) to return instead of engaging in the mission. In the absence of true, whole-life worship (Rom 12:1-2), false worship finds footholds.