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Do you think I am trying to weave a spell? Perhaps I am; but remember your fairy tales. Spells are used for breaking enchantments
as well as for inducing them. And you and I have need of the strongest spells that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment
of worldliness which has been laid upon us for nearly a hundred years.
C. S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory"
In C.S. Lewis's "The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe", four kids enter the magical world of Narnia by going
through a wardrobe. C.S. Lewis was a master storyteller as he portrayed Christ in the secen books in the Chronicles of Narnia
in such a way that if any magic was really going on, Lewis was really enchanting children with the figure that represented
Christ.
Could it be though that he was right in pointing us to the world of Narnia? Lewis's contention that we have been bewitched
by worldliness rings truer today than ever. We live in a world where everything is assumed to come about from natural causes.
In the deistic view, we said that God is outside the box. In the naturalistic view of today, we say that there is only the
box.
But what kind of world would this be that we are living in? What kind of world is it that nothing can happen unless natural
causes bring it about? Such a world would be totally predictable as well. Whatever can happen, has to happen, as natural law
always rules.
Also, there is nothing but this world in naturalism. When you die, you die and you become worm food. There is nothing
that this world is meant to show us. There is no higher purpose. If this was the case, then we could say safely that in naturalism,
life has no meaning.
Of course, as a Christian, I fully disagree, but I would like to bring this in with Lewis's thought. The naturalist sees
what they see only because they have the worldview of naturalism. Far it be it from Christians to dare look at the real world
the same way a naturalist does. Far be it from us to not realize that we live in Narnia.
But Nick! Narnia isn't a real world! Don't you live in reality? What color is the sky in your world? To say such questions
is to miss the point entirely. By saying we live in Narnia, I say we live in a fantastic world because it is a world where
God is not only alive but active.
When a person reads a poem, they read the words but the words are symbols for something that goes deeper than the words
themselves. A piece of artwork may not have a description on it, but it invokes within the viewer, more powerful emotions
than simple words can ever say.
If a poem and a piece of art can carry such meaning, why not our world? Why not look at a tree as the wonder of God's
creation? To imagine that you can put a little acorn in the ground and it turns into a mighty oak tree is an amazing notion
that would not have entered into the mind of the greatest fantasy writer on their own. The only reason one can think of Jack
and the Beanstalk, is that God gave the idea of great things from little seeds first.
All truth is God's truth including the truth of creation. Psalm 19 and Romans 1 says that the creation declares God's
glory. When God speaks to Job in the book of Job, God speaks of the wonders of his creation. Since God values his creation
so highly and made it so carefully, let us look to see if he's revealing himself in it.
Martin Luther once had his dog come to him while he was having a meal and the dog watched the piece of meat anxiously.
Luther replied "If only I could learn to pray like this dog watches this piece of meat." To the Reformers, creation
was a powerful message of God.
Do I believe in literal fantastic creatures like a hippogriff or a manticore? No. However, I do believe that the creatures
in our creation are fantastic enough and are capable of attracting our wonder. Why should my cat not hold me in wonder? Is
this not a work of God in my own house? Why not look at a platypus or an ostrich if you want to see that God creates strange
creatures? As some have said, "If you want to see that God has a sense of humor, look in the mirror."
In fact, when I finish typing this, with the push of a button, it will be sent all across America, and in some cases,
across the oceans, to arrive at the computers of other people instantly. Afterwards, it will be put on a website in the world
of cyberspace, whereever that is, for people to read whenever they desire. Did God create such a system directly? No. He created
the potential for it though from the base materials of Earth which is fascinating enough.
When was the last time we paused and looked up as a plane flew overhead and just marveled that several tons of metal could
stay aloft in the air? Yet how many people ride them regularly and lose sight that what they are doing would have been laughed
at a century ago. If God had intended men to fly after all, he would have given them wings.
How many of us have considered driving? I am a lightweight man myself, yet with my limbs, I can control a ton of metal
going down the road. Imagine how it would have been if the apostle Paul had lived in our time. How much traveling he would
have done around the world with the blessings that we take for granted!
Now I must clarify something. By speaking my wonder of nature, I am not an environmentalist tree-hugger type. I am simply
an observer walking through the art gallery of life and standing in amazement at the works that I see. If you were to pass
through the Louvre and not look at the Mona Lisa or any of the other paintings, a curator would think you mad. Yet how many
times have we passed through God's creation without taking the time to marvel at it?
C.S. Lewis said the way to Narnia was through a wardrobe. He was partially right. The way to Narnia is found in putting
on Christ and the garments that he offers. When we have been received as children of God, then we can truly see past the world
of naturalism and realize that there is something more than this world. This world points us to a higher purpose. As long
as we're in the museum though, we might as well marvel at the sights realizing we will one day see the master artist.
Now go and break the spell of worldliness.
In Christ,
Nick P.
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