C. S. Lewis: An Adventure in Faith, Part 2.
Jack Tells a Story
"Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack! Tell me a story! Please?"
Lucy Barfield was actually Jack's goddaughter, not his niece, but who
was he to argue?
 The
wardrobe that inspired C. S. Lewis to write The Lion, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe was carved by his grandfather.
"Well, Lucy, it was a cold winter day and a few inches of powdery snow
had fallen to the ground. A little girl named Lucy stood beside a lamppost."
Lucy interrupted him. "Is that me, Uncle Jack? Is it me?"
"Of course, Lucy," Jack replied. "We can pretend it was you. You were
standing beside the lamppost and what did you see come walking by?"
"A dinosaur?" said Lucy hopefully.
"No, I don't think so. Too big. Let's see--you were standing there beside
a lamppost at the edge of an enchanted forest."
Lucy interrupted again. "How did I get there? Where is the enchanted
forest?"
"Hmm--I think the enchanted forest is in the far off country of Narnia.
You got there through a secret passage in a magical wardrobe. The first
thing you saw was a faun who walked by, muttering to himself. He had an
umbrella in one hand and several packages tucked under his other arm.
"But Uncle Jack, what's a faun?" Lucy asked, her voice confused.
The Chronicles of Narnia
The first chapter of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe holds
the answer to Lucy's question. This first book of C. S. Lewis' Chronicles
of Narnia was dedicated to his goddaughter Lucy Barfield. Lucy was the
daughter of Owen Barfield, the friend who helped Jack see the truth about
God. The stories of Narnia (seven in all) were intended to entertain children,
but Jack wanted them to be more than just entertainment. Generations of
children and adults around the world have learned spiritual truths through
Jack's magical world of Narnia.
 Several
of the Chronicles have been made into movies, and a movie, Shadowlands,
has also been made about C. S. Lewis and his wife Joy. Joy died of cancer
only four years after she and Jack were married. Unlike his mother's death,
Joy's death did not cause him to deny the existence of God. Although the
pain of Joy's death was overwhelming, Jack still clung to the faith that
he had defended for decades.
Make It Real! Questions to make you dig a little deeper
and think a little harder.
- What is your favorite rainy day activity? How did Jack's rainy day
fun help to prepare him for his life's work?
- People come to faith in Jesus through many different ways. What
was the key to helping C.S. Lewis believe in God and become a Christian?
How about you? What has helped you to understand God better?
- When Jack was an atheist, his Christian friends helped point him
to God. If you had an atheist friend, what could you say to help him
or her believe in God?
- If you have read C. S. Lewis' Narnia books, think about the different
characters and events in the books. What spiritual lessons have you
taken from these books?
- Suggested reading:
- The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis (Zondervan)
- Audiodrama: The Chronicles of Narnia Focus on the Family Audiodrama
on CD (Tyndale House)
- Video/DVD:
- C. S. Lewis through the Shadowlands (drama)
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (animated)
- Chronicles of Narnia (dramas) All available from Vision
Video, 1-800-523-0226 or www.visionvideo.com
- Websites:
- www.narnia.com (about books, movies)
- cslewis.drzeus.net (about C. S. Lewis)
- Activities:
Back to part one of this C. S. Lewis "Glimpses
for Kids" children's worship bulletin insert.
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