thenameofaslan

[thenameofaslan]

King Edmund the Just - an Easter reflection

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9

It’s always bugged me that Edmund, the one for whom Aslan died, was declared “the Just.”

“Just” is defined as “based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair.” But why, after all that Aslan had done for him, was Edmund not “the Merciful”? Didn’t Aslan’s mercy toward him cause Edmund to be merciful too?

Aslan wasn’t being “just” when he died for Edmund. He wasn’t being “morally right and fair.” If he was, he’d have let Edmund die for his treachery. That’s the moral and fair response to Edmund’s sins. 

In the same way, God would be “morally right and fair” to let US die for our sins. 

So why is God not described as “merciful and gracious” in this verse? Why is God described as “just,” if justice should mean we are punished for our sins?

I believe, personally, that it’s because of God’s promises. God is faithful and just—God does what is morally fair—when He does what He’s promised to us. 

When Jesus took our place on the cross, He took all of God’s wrath. For God to punish us further—for God to not forgive us—after Jesus TOOK our punishment would not be “faithful and just.” This is what “faithful and just” refers to. 

This is why Edmund is referred to as “the Just.” I believe that during his reign in Narnia and throughout his life in our world, Edmund is not just in the sense that he exacts punishment on those who are immoral—he is just because he gives mercy. Edmund sees the sacrifice Aslan made for him—and all of Narnia in the process—and he sees the punishment taken. 

Let us live by Edmund’s example—and God’s—and be just, extending mercy because the ultimate punishment was taken by Jesus.

Praise God that He is faithful and just regarding the promises He’s made to us. Praise God that He is faithful and just to forgive us when we confess. 

Happy Easter, Narnians! He Is Risen!

—Mod Ailora

#thenameofaslan #narnia #the chronicles of narnia #c. s. lewis #edmund #edmund pevensie #king edmund the just #analysis #justice #mercy #forgiveness #mod ailora

[thenameofaslan]

Narnian Christmas

Helen Pevensie slowly lowered the phone back into its cradle, the conversation she had just had replaying in her mind.

“Yes, Mrs. Pevensie, we have a record of your husband…no, Mrs. Pevensie, we have no record of him being injured…Yes, Mrs. Pevensie, the captain was scheduled to arrive home three days prior…No, Mrs. Pevensie, we have no record of any ships being hit by enemy fire in transit…No, Mrs. Pevensie, we cannot confirm that your husband’s ship arrived…”

She grimaced, swallowing down the bitter taste that filled her mouth with every word. While the nasal, squeaky-voiced corporal had prattled on for ages, his words all meant the same thing: Your husband is missing.

Someone coughed in the other room, and Helen shook her head to clear the fog. She’d have to tell the children. Steeling herself, Helen strode into the parlor, where they were waiting.

“Mum?” Susan asked, setting her book aside. “Is there word?”

“No, darling, I’m afraid not,” Helen said, unable to keep her gaze from flickering to Edmund.

While her youngest son’s attitude had improved greatly since their return from the countryside—Helen had asked each of them what had happened, and they had all gotten this strange smile on their faces before denying that anything at all had happened—his attachment to his father had always been strong, as well as a source of contention between Edmund and, well, everyone else.

To her surprise, Edmund did not look bothered or upset in the slightest, merely grim. He was seated on the couch beside Lucy, and he wordlessly lifted his arm, allowing her to snuggle up against him. Susan reached across the space between her armchair and the couch, gripping Lucy’s small hand in hers. Peter, who had been leaning in the doorway between the parlor and the kitchen, straightened and walked over to the back of the couch, reaching down and gripping Edmund’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” he said confidently. “He’ll be home soon.”

There was something in his voice, a sureness, that startled Helen. She frowned at her oldest, but then she noticed that the rest of them were relaxing, even Edmund.

Susan’s eyes closed and she let out a soft sigh before smiling and giving Lucy’s fingers a squeeze. Edmund murmured something in Lucy’s ear, and she giggled. Peter smiled as well, tousling his younger brother’s hair before looking up at Helen. “Need help with the tea, Mum?”

The tea. I was making tea when the phone rang.

Helen nodded and followed Peter into the kitchen. As soon as they were out of earshot of the others, she turned to him, lowering her voice.

“Peter, I appreciate you trying to comfort your siblings, but the corporal said your father’s ship left the harbor but hasn’t arrived in port yet. I know you want to help, but I’m not sure giving the others false hope-!”

“Mum,” he cut in, looking amused. “I’m not giving them false hope. Dad will be home soon. Trust me. Have faith.”

He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek before picking up the tea tray and heading back toward the parlor, whistling a tune Helen hadn’t heard before her children had returned from the countryside.

------------------------------------

The Christmas Eve service at church was always full, and that night was no exception. Mothers, aunts, and grandmothers had much to be thankful for, since their children had come home safely. Helen smiled and nodded to the few parents she recognized before glancing at her own children, who were all dressed their best. One of Edmund’s old schoolmates had come by at the beginning of the service, pulling a face at Lucy, and Helen had felt a mixture of shock and pride as Edmund instantly placed himself between his former friend and his sister, his dark eyes narrowed in warning.

Her children had changed. Jim would be…

Helen’s eyes filled with tears. Oh Jim, where are you?

As a tear slipped its way down her cheek, someone slipped a hand into hers, and Helen looked down at Lucy. Her youngest smiled up at her, nodding reassuringly. Sniffling, Helen pulled her hand free and wrapped her arm around Lucy, kissing her daughter’s golden hair. Lucy rubbed her cheek against Helen’s sleeve and then rose up on her tiptoes. Helen bent down so the eight-almost-nine-year-old could speak to her.

“Don’t worry, Mum. Aslan’s watching over Daddy. Have faith.”

Helen reared up, startled. What, or who, was Aslan? And how on earth had her children gotten so wise?

Lucy moved away, slipping over to Peter. He reached down and lifted her up onto his hip with one arm, using the other to hold his hymnal as the congregation began to sing their last song. On Helen’s other side, Susan shuffled closer with her own hymnal, and Helen tried to focus on the hymn, her children’s voices still ringing in her ears.

Have faith.

---------------------------------------------

Christmas morning dawned cold and clear, and Helen was woken up by the smell of coffee brewing and the sound of the children—particularly Lucy—doing their best to be quiet.

Helen made her way downstairs and found Edmund building a fire in the fireplace while Lucy excitedly told him about the view outside.

“It looks like it used to be at the pond,” she was saying. “Do you remember when we went ice skating?”

Helen frowned. When was the last time they’d gone skating? And what pond did she mean?

“Susan was always the best at it,” Edmund responded as he coaxed the flames higher. “I still don’t know where she learned that one spin.”

Before Helen could ask them what they meant, Susan appeared with a tray of mugs.

“Morning Mum,” she sang. “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!” Lucy squealed, hurtling off the window seat and charging her mother. Helen caught her in a tight hug, laughing. They settled on the floor by the tree, and Helen cringed inwardly at the small stack of presents beneath it. You all deserve so much more.

Peter handed out gifts. Helen received a lovely maroon scarf from the girls—when had they learned to knit—and, to her surprise, a new rocking chair from the boys that appeared to be handmade.

“We worked on it for ages,” Edmund said, looking a bit shy.

The children had gotten their normal gifts of soap, a few candies, a small book each, and for the girls, a small doll. They also surprised her by exchanging gifts with each other.

Lucy got a new knit hat of soft blue, a worn Bible, and a necklace with a lion pendant.

Edmund got a pair of dark green mittens, a second, or perhaps third-hand, chess set, and a pocketwatch with a lion on the inside of the lid.

Susan received an empty sketchbook, a small bottle of perfume, and a necklace similar to Lucy’s.

Peter received a dark red scarf, a journal, and a pair of cufflinks with lions on them.

They had eaten cinnamon cake and drank coffee and cider and hot chocolate, and Helen was lounging on the couch, running her fingers through a sleepy Lucy’s hair and listening to the radio when the doorbell rang.

Her heart jolted, and she sat up, startling Lucy.

No, no please, no.

The doorbell rang again, and they all looked around, wondering who would answer the door.

The visitor knocked, and Peter stood, giving his mother a reassuring look before walking towards the front hall. Helen squeezed Lucy tightly, hardly daring to breathe. She heard the door open and the murmur of soft voices. The door closed, and Peter reappeared in the doorway, a strange look on his face.

“Peter?” Helen asked, willing her voice to stay steady. “Who was at the door?”

Her son’s face twitched and then he broke into a grin.

“An answer to prayer,” he answered, stepping to one side to reveal…

“Daddy!”

“Dad!”

“Dad!”

“James!”

It was hard to know who got to him first, or who knocked him over, but one way or another, the whole Pevensie family ended up on the floor, all hugging and laughing and crying. Helen kissed her husband and then looked around at her family, tears streaming down her face.

This was the perfect Christmas, she thought before catching Peter’s eye. He smiled and winked. Helen beamed back. Thank you for sharing your faith.

#the chronicles of narnia #narnia #c. s. lewis #thenameofaslan #christmas #text #fanfic #mod elledia

[thenameofaslan]

A hundred years of winter and no Christmas

Winter has a natural charm. The nature slows down and rests, and there are misty, frosted mornings and sometimes cold, clear sunny days, and snow, and all the fun it brings. But the days are short, nights are long and sometimes for days on end, the weather's just bleak, foggy, like the sun never rose in the morning and it's just some sort of twilight throughout the day.

Experiencing such a thing, a time of absent feelings, with nothing to celebrate, is like a bleak hudred year winter with no Christmas. All who speak of a True King coming seem foolish and naive. The cynical and stubborn who already accepted the icy castle mock believers from their high towers. In the middle of the fog and confuison of the frozen wasteland it's so easy to believe them and give up hope that spring would ever come again.

The Light, however, has come. It shines on the hopeful and hopeless alike, calling them to open up and accept it, so you too, would shine in this new world of Color. Because though the world is adorned with millions of artififcal lighting every Christmas, nothing compares to It.

But I have seen it, after what seemed a century of winter, of feeling cold nothing. And it came in the coldest, most miserable of winters and I let it shine through me and it truly is like everything we've ever heard of It. I pray you let in its light, dear heart, so your winter will meet its death and spring shall come again.

Long live the True King! And Merry Christmas!

#text #the lion the witch and the wardrobe #Christmas

[thenameofaslan]

Happy Narnia Day!

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was published on this day 73 years ago!

#the chronicles of narnia #narnia #happy narnia day #lion the witch and the wardrobe

[thenameofaslan]

The Friends of Narnia as Easter Hymns

#narnia #the chronicles of narnia #narnia edit #peter pevensie #susan pevensie #edmund pevensie #lucy pevensie #eustace scrubb #jill pole #digory kirke #polly plummer #thenameofaslan #photoset #edit #lyrics #easter #salvation #sacrifice #transformation #redemption

[thenameofaslan]

Happy Easter!

#Happy Easter #narnia #the chronicles of narnia #Douglas Gresham #Video

[thenameofaslan]

The ladies of TNOA were recently blessed with the opportunity to gather together for the very first time as we celebrated a very special wedding, as well as the anniversary of our group.

Memories were made, tea was drunk, and adventures were had, and we couldn’t be more grateful for each other and the experiences we got to share!

[thenameofaslan]

Merry Christmas from all of us at TNOA! To celebrate, here is a little quiz we made. “Every good and perfect gift is from above,” but which Narnian gift would best reflect you? 🎁

#narnia #the chronicles of narnia #the lion the witch and the wardrobe #the name of aslan #link #quiz #christmas

[thenameofaslan]

“I have felt the bitter cold, In my bones, through cracking skin, Years of winter on my soul... ...So I will wait until winter’s ending.”

          ~Gifts and Signs (Sarah Sparks)

#narnia #the chronicles of narnia #the lion the witch and the wardrobe #thenameofaslan #C. S. Lewis #photoset #edit #lyrics #christmas #growth #hope #love

[thenameofaslan]

John 16.20: Truly, truly, I say unto you, You will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

#happy Easter!

[thenameofaslan]

Discussion #6:

With the death and Resurrection of Christ being the cornerstone of the Christian faith, it is no surprise that so many of our books and music talk about it. In the midst of the Easter season, what are some of the quotes that stand out most to you? Are they quotes from books, or lyrics from songs, or perhaps passages straight from the Bible? Why do they mean so much to you in this season? 

#happy Easter!

[thenameofaslan]

Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him From rising again

–Glorious Day (Casting Crowns)

#happy Easter!

[thenameofaslan]

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:6

He is risen, indeed! Happy Easter from all of us here at The Name of Aslan. 

#happy Easter!

[thenameofaslan]

“Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the Cradle and last at the Cross. They had never known a man like this Man - there never has been such another. A prophet and teacher who never nagged at them, never flattered or coaxed or patronised; who never made arch jokes about them, never treated them either as “The women, God help us!” or “The ladies, God bless them!”; who rebuked without querulousness and praised without condescension; who took their questions and arguments seriously; who never mapped out their sphere for them, never urged them to be feminine or jeered at them for being female; who had no axe to grind and no uneasy male dignity to defend; who took them as he found them and was completely unselfconscious.” // Dorothy L. Sayers

#happy Easter!

[thenameofaslan]

From all of us at TNOA, Happy Easter!

#happy Easter!

[thenameofaslan]

OKAY. This is one of my favourite things about Narnia. And given that it’s still (barely) Good Friday where I live, now is the ideal time to talk about it.

You’ll notice how a lot of Narnia fans are wary of using the word “allegory” when describing the books. That, of course, is because Lewis himself described them as supposition; meaning he took the characters and said, “Now, what if they did this in another world?” Mostly, I love that. If we really want to get into theology, there’s a couple things that come out problematic, but at least on a basic level, it’s a noble idea and VASTLY important.

Especially when it comes to Aslan. Because Aslan isn’t just Lewis writing a character and saying, “Okay, he represents Jesus.”

Aslan is Lewis creating a world and saying, “Let’s see. In a world with talking animals, how would Christ walk among his people? As a lion: the king of beasts. And what would he do if his people were oppressed and needed to be saved from their sins? Well, that’s obvious. He’d die for them.”

This makes Aslan a devastatingly clear picture of how much God loves us. Because it’s one thing to know that he died for us already. But the point that Lewis makes is that in a world in which that death didn’t cover us, (although we know biblically that Jesus died ONE time for ALL,) he would do it again. After he had already died; after he had nails hammered into his hands and feet; after he suffocated and choked and bled; after the crown of thorns was jammed on his head; after ALL of that, he still loves us enough that he would do it all again to be with us. He’d do it all again to save us.

And the lovely thing is that he doesn’t have to, of course. Jesus died once, and covered the world’s sins 1000 times over. (Have you thought about that? He died for every one of us, and still had life left over. It’s a weird thought to wrap my brain around, but it always stands out to me.) But Aslan shows us that he loves us greater still. No, Jesus doesn’t need to die again. But he would. 

He paid it all. For us.

#happy Easter!

[thenameofaslan]

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6

#happy Easter!