TheCopyCat

Based on the book by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe hit theaters on December 9 2005. The timeless classic, recreated by director Andrew Adamson, is well on its way to become a phenomenon and redefining what America’s public is looking for on the silver screen.

As of the first few days of the New Year, Narnia was estimated to have earned $525 million ($248 million domestically). To set the comparison tone, King Kong had earned $465 million after the same measure of time. Narnia has been nominated for “Achievement in Visual Effects” for the 78^th Academy Awards, as well as “Best Original Score” and “Best Original Song” for the Golden Globe Awards. Pretty good for a Disney movie.

What most people don’t know, however, is that Narnia’s success started long before the movie began filming. Lewis wrote the seven book series between 1950-1956, and more than 95 million copies have been sold in 41 languages. The fantasy books have most definitely been part of Lewis’ legacy, and are perhaps his best known work out of his 50+ books. The Chronicles of Narnia contains Christian themes and borrows from Greek and Roman mythology as well as traditional English and Irish fairy tales. The books have been adopted for radio, cinema, stage, and television.

If you haven’t read the book(s) or seen the movie, then you must be pretty oblivious as to what Narnia really is. To give you the Reader’s Digest paraphrase:

“The Chronicles present the adventures of children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the realm of Narnia, a place where animals talk, magic is common, and good is fighting evil.” (Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia)

There has been a controversy concerning the true reading order of the books. Lewis never actually numbered the books, so, in his absence, we are left to decide for ourselves what order to read them in. There are two main sets: publication and chronological.

Publication order	Chronological order
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe	1. The Magician's Nephew
2. Prince Caspian	2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader	3. The Horse and His Boy
4. The Silver Chair	4. Prince Caspian
5. The Horse and His Boy	5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
6. The Magician's Nephew	6. The Silver Chair
7. The Last Battle	7. The Last Battle

Order is strictly reader’s preference. Some argue that reading them in publication order takes away some of the magic intended for a later time, but others say Lewis must have felt it was best to leave the books in publication order or else he would have changed them while he was still living: since he did not, there must be some purpose as to why they are arranged this way. Despite which order you read them in, you don’t have to look far to see why the books are such masterpieces.

In The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe, four children come across a supernatural wardrobe that leads them to a “parallel universe.” No matter how much time they spend in this magical land called Narnia that awaits them on the other side of the wardrobe, no time passes on earth until they return. These children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, encounter (as you may have guessed) a lion, a witch, and all things in between while in Narnia. It’s always winter but never Christmas, animals actively engage in conversation, and a prophesy is hinging to be fulfilled. Betrayal, battles, beavers, a lamppost, a lion, a witch, a wardrobe: all it takes to get there is a single step.

There was one question I asked myself while waiting for the film to premiere: “What makes this book so good?” I wasn’t sure if it was simply the captivation the book holds, or the aspect of it being something out of the ordinary. The answer arrived before I had hardly uttered the question.

In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus Christ presents heavenly truths in earthly form; His many parables about eternity, evangelism, hospitality, and so much more are put into words and scenarios straightforward enough for our simple minds to understand. By taking something we can’t understand (such as the kingdom of Heaven) and putting it into terms that make perfect sense (being invited to a banquet by a king, see Matthew 22:1-14), we are able to understand. It’s as simple as that: a heavenly truth put into earthly form, a parable.

Lewis, on the other hand, brilliantly created a book series of a parable in reverse: he took an earthly truth and put it heavenly form. By taking a story most of the world has been numbed to and putting it in a new structure, we are able to see the original story in a new light. For example, the earthly truth is that Jesus came to earth and was crucified as an ultimate sacrifice for all the sins of mankind and overcame death. The heavenly form is Narnia itself: a “parallel universe.” By poignantly retelling the true story in a fictional way, the power, truth, and majesty of the first story is unveiled. It’s as simple as that: an earthly truth put into heavenly form, a parable in reverse.

A very controversial topic is whether or not the books point to a deeper meaning, or if it is just a fun tale intended to entertain children. Personally, I could not agree more that this is the reverse parable of the story of Jesus on earth. Plenty of facts point to it:

· Aslan serves the Emperor Beyond the Sea (God the Father) and yet is also creator of Narnia (compare Colossians 1:16).

· Even though Aslan clearly has power over the White Witch, he chooses to work through human beings to accomplish his will to free Narnia.

· As he is led to the Stone Table to be killed, he is mocked and humiliated by the White Witch's evil cohort yet does not protest or fight back (read Isaiah 53:4-7 and the gospel accounts of Christ's scourging and crucifixion).

· Aslan tells Edmund's siblings not to bring up their brother's betrayal again: "What's done is done," he explains (Psalm 103:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Hebrews 10:17).

· As he presents Edmund to the court at the castle Cair Paravel, he calls him "Edmund the Just" (see Romans 5:19).

· Most important, he rises from the dead and the atonement is complete (Colossians 1:13-14).

· The White Witch’s subtle lies to Edmond are a good illustration of James 1:14-15.

· According to the Deep Magic (or law) on which Narnia was founded, Edmund must pay the penalty for his treachery with his life (Romans 6:23 and Hebrews 9:22).

· Aslan is the only hope for Narnia and for Edmund. It is only Aslan, the one who created Narnia, who can now deliver it from the power of the White Witch (1 John 3:8).

· Edmund represents mankind. Not only was he the rule-breaker and betrayer (Genesis 3), but the ultimate sacrifice was crucified in order to pay his debt (Romans 5:8)

The pages of C.S. Lewis’s book brilliantly put earthly truth into heavenly form. However, this fictional retelling could never replace the true story it reflects. It is simply a window to reach the world, a wardrobe in itself. You thought your wardrobe was impressive, but it won’t last even another two years (some won’t last until next season). But there is a wardrobe that will last throughout eternity, and it’s not found in any store or on any screen. It’s basic information before leaving earth, and it’s calling your name.