HTRLLAP: ...Or the Bible

The Bible, next to Shakespeare, probably the most alluded to work ever published on planet earth. When I think about Biblical connections in literary works, the first name that comes to mind is a name that I have held dear to my heart in childhood and adolescence, C.S. Lewis. Never has an author so flawlessly woven in biblical concepts, stories, and ideals to a work and still captured the hearts and minds of readers a world over.

I was read the Narnia books as a child at bedtime as far back as I can remember. I always wanted to hear the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Why? Some may say because of the high publicity of that book as the flagship for Lewis's Narnia series, I know the reason for my love of the book. This book retell's the Bible's most famous and amazing stories almost exactly. The story of Jesus, laying down his life for us, sinners, who have screwed up royally, to save our souls. And just when readers think the story is over, sin has won, He rises again, conquering death and shining His light for the world to see.

Change the name Jesus to Aslan, sinners to Edmund, and sin to the white witch. You have The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Reading this book as a child, and seeing the biblical allusions I truly believe really helped teach me the morals and messages of the Bible in a way that I could relate to even more at that age. A fantasy story. When I go back on the Narnia books, I can't help but see more and more of Lewis's genius in his writing, and these books will always have a dear place in my heart as to how even in the darkest and coldest places, Jesus will conquer our fears, and get us through our trials, to make something new, and beautiful.