In his terrific book, C.S. Lewis – A Life: Eccentric
Genius, Reluctant Prophet, Alister McGrath notes that the name for ‘Aslan,’
the great hero of the Narnia series, is the Turkish word for lion (p. 288).
That got me thinking about an interesting connection. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,
the White Witch uses Turkish Delight, a popular candy in food rationed, post
war England to tempt the boy Edmund and lead him astray. In his quest to
“secure her good will (and more Turkish Delight)” he betrays his brother and
sisters (McGrath, p. 294).
It makes me wonder if this contrast was intentional on
Lewis’ part. On the one hand we have Aslan, the “Turkish” Lion, the one in whom
Edmund’s siblings come to find great delight. While on the other, there is
Turkish Delight, the dessert, that in this story is a twisted, enchanted
version of the real thing that the Witch uses to cause a rift among the
Pevensie children.
An important distinction should be made between these two
‘Turkish delights.’ As humans, our hearts were made to desire after what is
good and true, but too often we settle for the counterfeit, temporary joys that
rot one’s teeth. And this tin of sweets is additionally tempting because of its
potential to be stored away and ingested at our own discretion. Aslan, though,
we are told, is not a tame lion. He cannot be captured or controlled. The great
lion engages people on his own terms and offers delights that are real and
radically different.
An old hymn called ‘Just as I Am’ was a staple in the
churches I grew up in. The song’s good message is that God is willing to accept
us and invites us to come to him as we are. My hunch though, is that the major
barrier for most of us is not believing that Jesus accepts us as we are, but
really accepting Christ as he is.
There’s a curious little phrase found in Mark 4:36. We’re
told that the disciples and their Rabbi get into a boat, leaving the crowds
behind. They push off from shore and Mark points out that they took Jesus along
with them ‘just as he was.’ Now, I’m not sure what to do with that phrase… What
does it mean? Is Jesus already asleep in the boat when they shove off? Is he
too exhausted from teaching and miracle working to help them row? Anyways… the
story goes on to say that a great tempest came upon them. The disciples, some
of them weathered, experienced fishermen, panic and wake Jesus, begging him to
do something. Then we’re told that Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and
waves, bringing the dangerous squall to a halt. His role in this drama changes
abruptly from ‘Sound Sleeper’ to ‘Storm Stopper,’ and his friends are justifiably
frightened.
The disciples took Jesus ‘just as he was’ and were shocked
when their master saved the day. When one’s relationship with Christ is defined
by coming to Jesus ‘just as I am’ there is a great danger of accepting a
counterfeit version, a delight contained in a tin can. The truth though, is
that he’s not simply the sweet, baby Jesus. Neither is he just some tame
teacher... He is the Resurrected King, our Ascended Lord, and a force to be
reckoned with. We should be wary of versions of Christianity that promise to be
‘safe for the whole family,’ because life with the lion of Judah was anything
but safe. The way practiced by those early disciples was one where they gave up
everything in radical submission to his upside-down kingdom.
We live in a world full of counterfeit delights. In the same
way that Edmund’s pursuit of the enchanted sweets led to his imprisonment,
there is real danger in chasing after temporary pleasures. It can cause us to
betray even those most dear to us. Like Edmund we must abandon quests for the
fleeting rush of ‘Turkish Delights’ and choose to follow after the Lion. To do
so means willingly rejecting those bittersweet substitutes and seeking after a life that is both healthy and nourishing - a vibrant life where we train
our hearts to desire and take delight in Him just as he is.
Grace and Peace,
Alan
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