The Wisdom of the Chronicles of Narnia

About every couple of years, I get the urge to read The Chronicles of Narnia. I have probably read the whole series no less than 7 times, and I still discover new truths each time. If you have only seen the movies you are missing out! Mother Teresa once said, "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." In my opinion, CS Lewis was a literal pencil, whose love letter was the 7 children's books that he left us that tell the wonderful story of Aslan and Narnia. I can't help but marvel sometimes at the wisdom that is written in the pages. During my first year of teaching, it broke my heart that I had to stay quiet during a Science fair presentation. That all I could say was that what they presented on was theory, not fact. So my second year of teaching, I did a read aloud with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and let this book speak for itself. And boy did it! First of all, because most of my students that year had never read a good book before. Second of all, because I saw them making the connection between Aslan and Jesus Christ. They fell in love with this story and we all looked forward to discussion time about a lion who would sacrifice his life for a human. I bet that group of student will all remember the Turkish Delight I made that was a little too sticky and ended up pulling out 2 children's teeth. To my defense the teeth were loose to begin with. Anyways, it is time for me to start the journey through the books again, and I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes.

From The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:

"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thougth he was a man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."


From Prince Caspian:

"Why have your followers all drawn their swords, may I ask?" ask Aslan
"We will not bear the shame of wearing an honor which is denied to the High Mouse."
"Ah!" roared Aslan. "You have conquered me. You have great hearts. Not for the sake of your dignity, Reepicheep, but for the love that is between you and your people... you shall have your tail again."


"Welcome, child," he said.
"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

From The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:

"This is a very great adventure, and no danger seems to me so great as that of knowing...I left a mystery behind me through fear."

From the Silver Chair:

"One word, Ma'am," [Puddleglum] said... "Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things... Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones... That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."

From The Last Battle:

"And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

Oh, and in case you didn't know: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes out in theatres Dec 10th!!!