Several months ago I began reading C.S.Lewis’ classic, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (TLWW) to one of the local 3rd grade classes. It all started when I visited the 3rd grade teacher whom I knew as a little red-headed spitfire who lived across the street from us in the cul-de-sac we lived in. I lost touch with Ashley over the years (we moved from that town in 2000). As only God could work it out, I found out she was teaching at one of our local elementary schools so Jo and I went to visit her. Many of the kids in her class remembered me as Mr. Bill because I had read to their kindergarten class 3 years before. So I suggested reading to her class. I read one chapter; Ashley reads one chapter; and the principal (who goes to the church I pastor) reads the next chapter. So every 3 weeks I made the 20 minute drive to the school to read a chapter from the book. Winter weather and the Christmas holiday has played havoc with that schedule, but we are closing in on the final chapters. 

Enter Spencer Elementary School. I already read once a month to the Kindergarten classes with what we call the Book Buddy program. So I approached one of the 3rd grade teachers (a member of the church) about reading to her class. I started with The Energy Bus for Kids by Jon Gordon and finished up before the Christmas break. I proposed reading TLWW to her class and she suggested reading to all the 3rd grade classes. I read one chapter and then the 3 teachers read the next two chapters during the week. I read chapter 7 yesterday. 

During my early morning bike rides (inside, of course), 🙂  I have been watching some movies: Back to the Future trilogy. Lord of the Rings trilogy. And for the first time ever I am watching the theatrical version of TLWW. This morning I watched the part where Aslan negotiated his life for Edmund’s and was killed on the Stone Table. The Witch, Jadis, the fake queen of Narnia, thought she had won. Aslan was dead at her own hand. Little did she know, as Aslan put it, “There was a deeper magic than she knew.” He goes on to say, “When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.” (p.154)

Lewis knew the truth and was able to cloak it in a story. The Truth of One who had committed no treachery (sin) was killed in a traitor’s (mine and yours) stead. I choked up as the realization came on to me as a fresh new truth might. I’ve known this story, but never tire of hearing it. As the chorus says, “How deep the Father’s Love for us/How vast beyond all measure.”