I had planned to frame the portion about everyone having their own story by talking briefly about The Horse and His Boy, one of the book in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. The Horse and His Boy is a story about journeying with each character setting out on a journey, whether it be toward a goal or away from their present situation. Even though their journeys overlap at times, their individual stories remain specific to them.
This is highlighted when Aslan speaks to Shasta, who was fleeing from his master after overhearing how he was merely found and that he is now about to be sold. Shasta is under the impression that it was “bad luck” to meet a lot of lions in the course of his journey. Aslan corrects him that there was only one lion. (This is in chapter 11)
This dialogue follows:
“I was the lion.” And Shasta gasped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. “I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”
Shasta realizes that Aslan was instrumental in Shasta’s journey even though Shasta wasn’t aware of it: both at times of joy and times of fear. This causes Shasta to remember the wound Aravis received while they were being chased by the lion, which Shasta now knows to be Aslan.
The conversation continues:
“Then it was you who wounded Aravis?” [Shasta]
“It was I.” [Aslan]
“But what for?”
“Child,” said the Voice, “I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story hut his own.”
It strikes me that it is important to remember that we are all in our own story and that is the story we are living in. Each person’s story is going to be unique. We should recognize the importance of this both in not imposing our story on others or imposing someone else’s story onto ours. Our encounters with God will be unique to who are and the place currently we find ourselves in our journey, as highlighted by the individual transcendent encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John.
(A second point from the story, which would be more in line with the message from two weeks ago [click here], is that sometimes we don’t realize God’s involvement and leading until much later, just like was the case for Shasta and Aslan’s role in his journey.)
Looking forward to talking about community this Sunday. Please let me know if you’d like to share some thoughts. ([email protected])
~ chris