An Ultimate Story of Grace

i've been thinking about c.s lewis and narnia and "the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe" alot lately i just recently watched the movie and (thanks to my friend erin's recent blog post: hello, my name is edmund) i can't stop thinking about edmund.

because i am him.

his story is most like mine, his redemption is most like mine.

i love edmund. he's my absolute favorite.

i see underneath that desire for turkish delights and i see a desire to be loved, to be accepted. he gets picked on all the time by his family, why wouldn't the white witch's antics seduce him?

edmund does awful, selfish things. he falls into the traps of the white witch and betrays his family on several occasions. he wants what he wants and he'll do whatever it takes to get it. he's used to a me-centered life and i think it's safe to say that, so far, living that way has been frustrating for him. he lives in the shadow of his older brother, his father isn't at home, his country is in the middle of a war-- the witch offers stability that he hasn't seen in a long time.

i'm not trying to make excuses for edmund or his actions, but i am saying he's human. aren't you edmund too?

besides aslan (of course), edmund's our hero. he has to be our hero.

look at what he did..

yet he's invited back.

he turned his back on everyone who loved him..

yet he is INVITED BACK.

edmund's story is the ultimate example of redemption. isn't that encouraging!?

the lion, witch, and the wardrobe is the ultimate story of grace.

because no matter how much i'm like edmund, i know i'm not like peter and susan and lucy.

they fully understand grace. because grace is not only about forgiving and loving:

it's about FORGETTING, it's about INVITING people back, it's about WELCOMING them in, it's about giving them more than they deserve. it's about CELEBRATING them, cheering them on, seeing them do good, recognizing their humanness.

they welcome their brother back, joke with him, feed him, clothe him, hug him. they give him armor, suit him up to fight, celebrate when he's spared. he's one of them again, no questions asked. no making him feel bad, no making him pay.

and edmund: he doesn't remind his siblings of how much they ridiculed him. how little love they showed him. how they drove him away. he doesn't say remember this? he understands what's been done for him, he accepts it, and he runs back into their arms: no exceptions.

that's grace.

and when aslan is on the stone table and he is being mocked and jeered and his fur is being shaven and his body is being tied, aren't you yelling, "that should be edmund!! that SHOULD BE ME!! aslan did nothing, he doesn't deserve this, is this reallyyy the only option!??"

because if the cost of betrayal is turning the betrayer over to the white witch, then serve edmund up! hand him over: he deserves it! hand me over: i deserve it!

having the king die and pay the ultimate price for mine and edmund's stupidity and moronic behavior?

that's inconceivable grace.

with that kind of sacrifice, knowing that someone took your place on the stone table, wouldn't you live differently? like edmund, wouldn't you fight differently? knowing the kind of price that was paid to save you, wouldn't you show love to save others?

i'm so thankful to be edmund.