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The Horse and his Boy
Posted by Derrick
on
10:53
This is probably one of the least known and understood of the seven books. It could be seen as a space filler really. At first it doesn't seem to have a purpose or a message as deep as the others. However, I would say that this book contains the central story arc from the Bible.
I am a big fan of Doctor Who and particularly enjoy the hidden story arcs in the new series. There was Bad Wolf, Torchwood, Vote Saxon, The Silence Will Fall and some others. The Bible also has a story arc but God isn't as subtle as some of the writers of Doctor Who. It screams out from the pages of the Bible and it is here in the Horse and his Boy.
The story s simple enough. A poor boy from Calormen escapes to Narnia with a talking horse. He finds a young girl trying to do the same and together they race to the North to stop an invasion of Narnia's neighbour Archenland. Along the way they find out more about each other and they discover wonderful things. Shasta (the boy of the title) finds out that he is not a poor peasant child but the son of King Lune and future monarch of Archenland, chosen to save his people. Aravis finds out that she is not that nice a person and becomes someone much less tiresome. Bree and Hwin the two horses lose some of their fears and some of their stupidity (particularly Bree) and all find rest and shelter in the land they had been dreaming of.
So what about the Christian themes in this book? Well, the four main characters travel through a desert to escape a life of slavery. This is Our Story. The Bible is all about our journey from slavery (Egypt) to freedom (the land of Israel which lies north of Egypt across a great desert). On every step of the way we can look back and see God's guiding hand as can Shasta and Aravis. We see that we are led through difficult times to the safety and comfort of our new home.
Deeper meaning than this is evident though. We see that Aslan had a hand in every aspect of Shasta's life. He guided the abducted baby to safety and protected him before the desert. He guided him over the narrow path and made sure that he was able to fulfill his destiny. We may not recognise Jesus as being with us all the time but He most certainly is. He cares for every aspect of our lives and He wants us to be safe, secure and happy.
It's not about predestination though. Shasta never had to do anything that he did. It was all free will. He could have stayed in the shack. He could have stayed in Taashbaan and he could have stayed in the hermitage. He did not. He took the difficult paths and did the difficult things because that was what was right. Sometimes, we as Christians need to remember that we have a choice. Sometimes we have to choose between doing what is right and what is easy. Shasta makes the right choices (guided so amazingly by Aslan) and it all works out well in the end.
Perhaps my favourite part of this book is the conversations that Aslan has with Aravis and Shasta. Here we see that it is all about them. They have no right to know about others and what will happen to them. They should not judge nor should they worry about that. Aslan takes care of all people and I know many Christians who need to learn this lesson. Yes we need to care for others, God wants nothing less. However, we have no right to assume things about people. We each need to work on our own story with Aslan. Our walk with Jesus is ours and we have no concern in the walk of someone else. They act differently? Have different beliefs? Think differently? Tough, what goes on between them and Jesus is their affair. We can help and guide but ultimately the story is theirs and theirs alone.
This is a book about growing up and losing what we had as children in order to get at what is real and true. In an echo of 1 Corinthians 13:11 we see all four characters lose their inhibitions, their wrong beliefs and their childish worries when faced with the Great Lion. In meeting Jesus we see the ultimate reality and nobody will escape unchanged. Lewis, though, shows that the joys of childhood are not lost. The characters after their encounters with the risen Aslan (this is post Stone Table) are happier than they were at the start of the book and they live happily ever after. A masterpiece of adventure story-telling.
I am a big fan of Doctor Who and particularly enjoy the hidden story arcs in the new series. There was Bad Wolf, Torchwood, Vote Saxon, The Silence Will Fall and some others. The Bible also has a story arc but God isn't as subtle as some of the writers of Doctor Who. It screams out from the pages of the Bible and it is here in the Horse and his Boy.
The story s simple enough. A poor boy from Calormen escapes to Narnia with a talking horse. He finds a young girl trying to do the same and together they race to the North to stop an invasion of Narnia's neighbour Archenland. Along the way they find out more about each other and they discover wonderful things. Shasta (the boy of the title) finds out that he is not a poor peasant child but the son of King Lune and future monarch of Archenland, chosen to save his people. Aravis finds out that she is not that nice a person and becomes someone much less tiresome. Bree and Hwin the two horses lose some of their fears and some of their stupidity (particularly Bree) and all find rest and shelter in the land they had been dreaming of.
So what about the Christian themes in this book? Well, the four main characters travel through a desert to escape a life of slavery. This is Our Story. The Bible is all about our journey from slavery (Egypt) to freedom (the land of Israel which lies north of Egypt across a great desert). On every step of the way we can look back and see God's guiding hand as can Shasta and Aravis. We see that we are led through difficult times to the safety and comfort of our new home.
Deeper meaning than this is evident though. We see that Aslan had a hand in every aspect of Shasta's life. He guided the abducted baby to safety and protected him before the desert. He guided him over the narrow path and made sure that he was able to fulfill his destiny. We may not recognise Jesus as being with us all the time but He most certainly is. He cares for every aspect of our lives and He wants us to be safe, secure and happy.
It's not about predestination though. Shasta never had to do anything that he did. It was all free will. He could have stayed in the shack. He could have stayed in Taashbaan and he could have stayed in the hermitage. He did not. He took the difficult paths and did the difficult things because that was what was right. Sometimes, we as Christians need to remember that we have a choice. Sometimes we have to choose between doing what is right and what is easy. Shasta makes the right choices (guided so amazingly by Aslan) and it all works out well in the end.
Perhaps my favourite part of this book is the conversations that Aslan has with Aravis and Shasta. Here we see that it is all about them. They have no right to know about others and what will happen to them. They should not judge nor should they worry about that. Aslan takes care of all people and I know many Christians who need to learn this lesson. Yes we need to care for others, God wants nothing less. However, we have no right to assume things about people. We each need to work on our own story with Aslan. Our walk with Jesus is ours and we have no concern in the walk of someone else. They act differently? Have different beliefs? Think differently? Tough, what goes on between them and Jesus is their affair. We can help and guide but ultimately the story is theirs and theirs alone.
This is a book about growing up and losing what we had as children in order to get at what is real and true. In an echo of 1 Corinthians 13:11 we see all four characters lose their inhibitions, their wrong beliefs and their childish worries when faced with the Great Lion. In meeting Jesus we see the ultimate reality and nobody will escape unchanged. Lewis, though, shows that the joys of childhood are not lost. The characters after their encounters with the risen Aslan (this is post Stone Table) are happier than they were at the start of the book and they live happily ever after. A masterpiece of adventure story-telling.
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