Wonder & An Instagram Poll

Today on my Instagram story I posed the question, should we equate Narnia with forests covered in beautiful fresh fallen snow or should we equate Narnia with the budding new life of spring? 

My question was in response to seeing several instagrammers (namely Teagan Olivia Sturmer) post about how their neck of the woods was reminiscent of Narnia. And I get it. I’ve been there too. But the more I thought about this, the more I remembered that the snow in Narnia wasn’t a pleasant thing. In fact, because Jadis (The White Witch)  had named herself queen of Narnia, we find out that it was always winter but never Christmas in Narnia. The perpetual snow was not a positive thing. It was a physical manifestation of buried hope and the oppression of evil. 

Yet, we know that when Aslan arrives, the snow begins to melt and spring has arrived. In fact, when Aslan is first mentioned to the children, Lewis writes this, “Oh, yes! Tell us about Aslan!” said several voices at once, for once again that strange feeling - like the first signs of spring, like good news - had come over them. It’s pretty clear to me that for Lewis and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe which is ripe with allegory, spring and the hope of new life that accompanies it is what happens when Aslan is on the move.

Therefore, I do believe that associating spring with Narnia would be a far better attachment than winter. But the response to my question actually brought up a far more interesting question and topic to consider.

Because while people were willing to agree with my general take, they all mentioned Lucy and that iconic scene at the beginning of the story. 

“A moment later she found that she was standing in the middle of a wood at night-time with snow under her feet and snowflakes falling through the air. Lucy felt a little frightened, but she felt very inquisitive and excited as well.”

So through my rudimentary research today, I think the snow doesn’t remind us of Narnia as a whole. It reminds us of wonder and the idea of being swept away into something far grander than ourselves. Because really, who doesn’t want to discover a magical land, aid in the defeat of evil, and become King or Queen and rule for many happy years? 

Wonder is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a cause of astonishment or admiration” especially in regards to something new and mysterious. And I think what Lewis and Tolkien and others (but really just them because they are the actual GOATS) teach us about humanity is that deep down we crave something outside of ourselves. We’re drawn to stories of adventure and the defeating of evil because something in our souls resonates with that story. And it should. Because, those stories, the ones that really matter, remind us of hope. 

We’re drawn to Lucy and her entrance into Narnia because it’s a glimmer of hope. That feeling we get when we see snow and think of her, is the same feeling we can feel on Christmas day. Because it’s that same feeling that points us to Christ, the source of our wonder and hope. It’s the simultaneous feeling of wonder with the physical world that God created and delighting in His very good creation. It’s also a thrill of hope. It reminds us that we are in fact on a journey not unlike the Pevensie children. Narnia isn’t some magical fantasy land. It’s the world we live in. Those stories we are drawn to and love, aren’t just stories. They are reality. And while our lives may look more like life outside the wardrobe, the reality is, we’re inside. We get to live in a kingdom not ruled by darkness but by light. We get to partner with our great King and bring life into the world around us. 

In some ways, Narnia should remind us of snow and spring. We should experience the thrill of hope and wonder, like Lucy, but we should also remember that our God is on the move. He is bringing life where there was none. He’s thawing frozen ground and breathing on dry bones and we’re on this grand epic with Him. 

So enjoy the beauty of Narnia - whether in winter, spring, summer, or autumn. Delight in the magic of wonder and imagination. But heed the words of Dumbledore, and don’t forget to live. Because Lucy didn’t stay transfixed at the lamppost. She befriended someone very different from herself, believed the absolute best in him even when he betrayed her, and always fought courageously for what was right. Let’s do the same. Let’s be people who befriend those around us, let’s believe the best in others, forgiving and loving unconditionally and let’s always fight valiantly for what is right, just like Queen Lucy. 

And let’s always be curious. Let’s be willing to have silly conversations on Instagram about things that don’t matter because they may just lead to something that does matter a little bit more.

FWIW, this is the scene I think of when I think of Narnia. But only because I’ve been there and It’s absolutely delightful.