Aslan

I just finished reading the entire Chronicles of Narnia from start to finish for the first time.  I already knew the story of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but had never read the full series.  I just love Aslan and the correlations between this character and Jesus.  It has been good for me to reflect on some of these characteristics.

Aslan is wild.  Over and over in the books it is said that he is not a tame lion.  To me this means he is not controlled, but the one in control.  He roars and runs and fights battles.
Aslan is good. Good in a way that those in his presence feel a beautiful terror, an awe-filled delight.
Aslan is eternal.  Before the first song to after the final welcome home, he is standing strong.
Aslan is mysterious.  He doesn't always make sense to the children or the Narnians.  He walks in and out of their history, weaving his story but not always answering the questions.
Aslan is sometimes absent, but always present.  Hundreds of years sometimes go by without his physical presence, but yet he's right there too.
Aslan does not force himself.  Some are drawn to him, others can't see or hear him no matter what he does.  He waits for an open heart.
Aslan only tells you your story.  Often in the books, the characters want to know such and such about someone else, and he says he's only telling you your story.  Someone elses story is between that person and him.  Your concern is your story and your time with him, what he says to you.

Sometimes we get a picture of Jesus that he is serious and hard.  I know these are childrens books.  And I do base my picture of Jesus from the Bible.  But even when we read the Bible, I think we don't realize the humanity in the words we read.  For instance when Jesus meets the woman at the well in John 4, or when he saved the woman caught in adultry from being stoned in John 8, on a quick read he can appear slightly hard or detached.  We read these black and white words - Go and sin no more - I am the Messiah - etc. But we need to see the love in His eyes, the passion in His face, and hear the delight in His voice as He brings people from death to life, as He speaks freedom and grace in the face of condemnation and hatred.  Jesus is playful and joy-filled.  I think for some reason relating the character of Aslan to Jesus brought Him a little bit more to life to me.  Except that Jesus isn't a character, He is the Lord and Saviour and delights in being these things in our lives - eternal, good, wild, present, storyteller, come along side, and even mysterious.