The Great Bridge Builder

(This post is part of a series of posts about The Chronicles of Narnia.)

C. S. Lewis had one primary purpose for writing his books about the country of Narnia. At the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Edmund and Lucy are told that they will never return to Narnia, but instead remain in their own world. Lucy sobs that she will be very sad never seeing Aslan again. She says,

"And how can we live, never meeting you?"

"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.

"Are—are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.

"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

Lewis wants us, through reading his Narnia books, to know Christ better. That was his primary purpose for writing the stories.

These books not only give us great help for our life in the present. They also give us hope for our future. At the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the Mouse Reepicheep sails a little coracle over the edge of the world to Aslan's country. The others wish they could go there, too, but it's not their time yet. Aslan tells them they must go to his country from their own world.

"Oh, Aslan," said Lucy. "Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?"

"I shall be telling you all the time," said Aslan. "But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder."

We can surely get to Aslan's country! It may be a long way; it may be a short way. The way may be difficult. But he will not leave us languishing. He has the country we long for, and he provides the way for us to get there. Christ is the great Bridge Builder.