When You Have Everything and Nothing

Oct 10

Oct 10 When You Have Everything and Nothing

Every so often I reread the Chronicles of Narnia. Why? They're kids' books, right? Well, I have adored them since childhood, but I can honestly say I get much more out of them as an adult. C.S. Lewis said, "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest." Using that logic, Narnia must be listed among the very best of children's literature.

Narnia fans all seem to have a favorite, one that particularly speaks to their heart. For my husband, it's The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. He loves Eustace, the boy who becomes a dragon and can only become a boy again through an encounter with Aslan, the Great Lion. This reminds my husband of his own healing journey. For me, it's The Silver Chair. Its overarching theme of being freed from darkness and spiritual bondage resonates strongly within me. But last night I was reading the final book of the series, The Last Battle, when something struck me anew. The events center around the last days of the Kingdom of Narnia as a conniving ape sets the end of all things in motion through the manipulation and deception of the kingdom's citizens, some of whom have been coerced into slavery. The ape tries to deny that the humble Narnians have been sold into bondage by assuring these changes are for everyone's benefit.

There! You see!...It's all arranged. And all for your own good. We'll be able, with the money you earn, to make Narnia a country worth living in. There'll be oranges and bananas pouring in -- and roads and big cities and schools and offices and whips and muzzles and saddles and cages and kennels and prisons -- Oh everything!

The first to respond is a wise old bear, who immediately sees the folly of such an idea. But we don't want all those things...We want to be free. And we want to hear Aslan speak. The ape's rebuke is swift, calling him a "fat, stupid old Bear."

The ape's words feel eerily apt in today's world. We have everything, don't we? Good and bad, it's all available to us -- all manner of things to occupy our time, energy, and passions. And yet, how many of us feel content? How many of us feel free?

The old bear is the only one brave enough to speak what he knows in his heart. Freedom's value far exceeds that of worldly 'progress'. It is possible to have everything and yet have nothing of lasting value. Do you ever feel like nothing in this world truly satisfies? Do you wonder who clipped your wings or where your sense of adventure has gone? Do you sometimes ask yourself if the entire world has gone mad?

But what can be done? Isn't that just life? I love that last part of the old bear's statement. And we want to hear Aslan speak. In our hearts, we long to hear someone speak truth, to put everything in its proper place. But too often all we hear is noise. And the noise can sound a lot like the conniving ape, hurling accusations in our faces -- telling us we're not entitled to an opinion or we're not seeing things clearly. But in our hearts we know. We know there is something else, something solid, something true.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars...He makes Lebanon leap like a calf.

Psalm 29:4-6

Freedom is too precious to discard in exchange for any perceived peripheral benefit. And yet, we humans are terribly good at enslaving ourselves. There are so very many ways to enslave ourselves, too! Addictions, greed, political systems, religious legalism, co-dependance, unforgiveness, hatred, judgment, fear -- the list is inexhaustible. But we were created for freedom. And we were created for relationship. Not just any relationship, but one in which we can hear the voice of truth -- the voice of love. When we begin to hear this voice, we begin to experience freedom.

Ask God what he wants to say to you today. Let him speak the words that shatter lies and break chains. Let him fill the emptiness with the substance of his love. I promise his voice is stronger than the voices of chaos and confusion that are given so much latitude today. And his words NEVER lead to bondage.