Aslan is on the move

The movie version of C.S. Lewis' fantasy classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe hits theaters today. In it, we'll meet Aslan—the Jesus character who redeems Narnia. In the book he is introduced as the beaver tells the four children who go through the wardrobe

"They say Aslan is on the move—perhaps has already landed."

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning—either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventerous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delighful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

And so the savior-lion Aslan is introduced. Soon after Lucy asks the beaver if Aslan is safe. The reply is "'Course he isn't safe. But he's good."

If after seeing the film you feel inspired to get the car tag "ASLAN", don't bother trying. That Georgia license plate is already taken— it belongs to our Bishop, Henry Louttit.

Note: The religion column for today's issue of the Tribune & Georgian, Is it time yet for Plan C? is now online.