I’ll quote a fair bit here, so you can understand the setting more fully:
“No doubt,” continued Bree, “When they speak of him as a Lion, they only mean he’s as strong as a lion or (to our enemies, of course) as fierce as a lion. Or something of that kind. Even a little girl like you, Aravis, must see that it would be quite absurd to suppose he is a real Lion. Indeed it would be disrespectful. If he was a lion he’d have to be a beast just like the rest of us. Why!” (and here Bree began to laugh) “If he was a lion he’d have four paws, and a tail and Whiskers!… Aie, ooh, hoo-hoo! Help!” For, just as he said the word Whiskers, one of Aslan’s had actually tickled his ear. Bree shot away like an arrow to the other side of the enclosure and there turned; the wall was too high for him to jump and he could fly no further. Aravis and Hwin both started back. There was about a second of intense silence.
Then Hwin, though shaking all over, gave a strange little neigh, and trotted across to the Lion.
“Please,” she said, “you’re so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I’d sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else.”
“Dearest daughter,” said Aslan, planting a lion’s kiss on her twitching, velvet nose, “I knew you would not be long in coming to me. Joy shall be yours.”
Of course there is a great deal more following that bit, and a great deal proceeding it, and I’d like to expound on all that too…but I’ll just stick with this at present. ;) (You can go read the other parts, though, if you’d like. Because you have the books. Right??)
“I’d sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else.”
What an odd statement, isn’t it??
Of course, we know Aslan is a representative [of sorts] of Christ, and that there are truths about the Christian life contained in the story of Narnia… so, suspecting that there was something real behind this queer utterance from a talking horse in a made-up land, I kept pondering it and filtering other things through it–-attempting to uncover the implications behind that sentence.
As I read “Crazy Love”, and as God began to show me more of Himself, I realized something that Hwin knew: God is so beautiful, so holy, so good, so awesome– that when we see Him; when we know Him: we would rather be hurt– or even killed– by Him than loved by anyone else.
He is THAT awesome.
I can’t even… begin to truly fathom Him, nor the full implications of this.
There is something about this thought that can’t really be captured by mere typed words: it must be felt. All I can really hope to do is to get you started pondering it: and to realize it more fully myself.
Better to be wounded by Him than caressed by anyone else.
Better to give up everything–my very life– that I may know Him.
Today I read an article about Sacrifice. (It’s very good; you ought to read it. Actually... Go read it. Now. Please? ;))
As I was thinking about that article--with this thought still hanging about in my mind-- (My thoughts often mesh and criss-cross and combine…) I realized something.
We must see Christ as totally worth giving up our lives--our "selves"-- for.
We must realize His infinite worth and our infinite worthlessness–and then we will be able to make the sacrifice: To give up our self for Him.What a trade off!!
In order to attain something you believe is of greater value, you must give up something you believe is of lesser value. –Brett & Kate McKay
It all seems incredibly obvious, doesn’t it?
Of course He is of greater value than I!!!
Of course He is infinitely more holy than I!
Of course He is worthy of my life!!
Really?
Let’s see it.
If you’ve ever wondered why you lack the discipline to attain a certain goal, it is likely because in your heart of hearts, you don’t really value that goal as much as you think you do. –Brett & Kate McKay
Yikes… I think this is something we really must think and act on, don't you?
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