Aslan Is On The Move!

In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe there is a wonderful portion of the story when the land of Narnia, which has been under the frozen curse of the White Witch, begins to heal.

Trees bloom…ice melts…flowers reveal themselves.  And whenever someone witnesses evidence that the curse is fading and healing is taking its place, there is a singular pronouncement on that person’s lips:

“Aslan is on the move!”

But Aslan had not yet appeared.  The White Witch still seemed to be winning.  Frozen waste still covered much of Narnia, but where ever a bird sang, grass grew, or a treacherous heart repented it became increasingly apparent to everyone in the land that Aslan’s rule was expanding, and the White Witch’s was receding.  Although no one had seen him yet, everyone, including the witch knew:

“Aslan is on the move!”

Like Narnia, our world was not meant to be governed by a curse.  Fear and death are foreigners here who have resided in our home illegally for far to long.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

John 3:8

Jesus came to give fear and death, aka “the curse” its eviction notice and to empower his people to be agents of life, light, and Living Water (aka “his body”) We are to share with everyone that a new Kingdom has been established with a new King who does not advance his kingdom through military conquest or economic domination, but rather through love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Like Narnia, the Earth is seeing ever increasing evidence that new life is bursting up through once cursed ground.  Whether it is:

* social justice issues being championed

* grace and mercy replacing law and performance

* greater environmental responsibility and stewardship of God’s creation

* an increased anticipation in the Earth of the King appearing to formally govern his  Kingdom

whenever we see evidence of these things there is an increased understanding:

Jesus is on the move!

I’ve been privileged to visit many different countries in the world.  (In fact, in the last four months I have made three different trips to Europe and two trips to China.)  Although there are still places where it seems fear and death are firmly entrenched, I’ve also been blessed to see places where healing and restoration is taking place.

* In Budapest after a week my guide shared with me over lunch that his heart was open to God after the time we had spent together.

*  In a little village I was walking through in Burgundy France a small church was announcing an ALPHA class being held there.  The French often get dismissed by Christians as not being open to the Gospel, but here was the Good News being announced in France nevertheless.

* I preached at two church services in Wales on grace and mercy and was warmly received.  The message of Grace seems to cross national boundaries and many Christians are crying out for a revelation of how much God loves them!

* A local Chinese government official shared with me how his Christian grandmother had formed his understanding of how to treat others by the mercy and love she showed those that persecuted her during the Cultural Revolution.

As in the story of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe I see all of these little events in our world as if they were trees blooming, flowers blossoming, and ice melting in Narnia.  And when I see them I know one thing with total certainty,

“Jesus is on the move!”