In writing his seven-book “Chronicles of Narnia,” Lewis created a fantastic saga of dwarves, witches, trolls and centaurs, much like Tolkien. And again like Tolkien, Lewis’ Great Lion — Aslan — is unmistakably a figure of Jesus Christ. As for Aslan’s father, the Emperor Across the Sea: Well, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to infer Who that might be.
Over the years, I’ve known dozens of people who’ve gone back to the Narnia tales again and again to enjoy them as adults. Even today, half a century after Lewis published the last of the Chronicles, they remain bestsellers. The reason is simple. The Chronicles remind us that beauty, truth and goodness really do exist; that what we choose in life matters; that suffering has meaning; that sacrifice for the right things makes a difference; that heaven is real; and that God, our reason for joy and hope, loves us eternally.
It’s no accident then that many filmmakers have tried to bring these stories to the screen. Until now, all have failed. Part of the problem has been technical: before computers, the means for creating believable fantasy worlds didn’t exist. But the other, less obvious, problem has been content. What makes the Chronicles so powerful — their Christian worldview — is also what makes some people in an aggressively secular age very uneasy. What we read, watch and listen to can change us. And the Chronicles have changed the hearts of a great many people — in the right direction.
**Taken from Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M.
Column for the Week of Oct 26, 2005