C.S. Lewis was an Irish-English author as well as a tutor and lecturer at Oxford University, and then Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English Literature at Cambridge University. He is called a Christian “apologist,” a technical term for those who explain and defend the Christian faith. One of his most popular books, Mere Christianity, was based on a series of fifteen-minute radio addresses for a broad audience interested in learning more about Christianity. And of course, many of us have read his Chronicles of Narnia series of fantasy novels for children (and adults!) that have underlying Christian themes.
You may be familiar with a particular exchange early in the first Narnia book when Mr. Beaver explains to one of the children who have stumbled into the land of Narnia about Aslan, the lion who is the Christ figure of the series.
“Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion…”
“Safe?” said Mr Beaver… “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
It is useful to ponder Lewis’s distinction between safe and good as we get ready to celebrate the feast of Christ the King this Sunday. The call of Jesus Christ, our good and only King, to follow him is not a call that is particularly safe. Living in the world as he did, working for peace and justice, and loving our neighbors as ourselves requires a lot of us. We don’t have to do it alone, of course; we support each other along the way, and we are inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit. But we still make sacrifices and even endure suffering if we are truly living out our Christian values and faith.
And ultimately, following Jesus’ road does lead to a kind of safety – we find salvation in God through the revelation of Jesus’ own suffering, death, and resurrection. And although we have work to do, Christ our King is always leading us and encouraging us on the way.
I’m grateful for C.S. Lewis starting to teach me all this when I was a kid – even though I had no idea what it meant at the time!
May you have a blessed Christ the King Sunday!
