When Aslan is Unseen

Prince Caspian struck me in another way. In a world trying to live without God, the story points out the vanity of any battle. If God did not intend the effort, then why are you fighting? And if you are fighting without Him, is there hope of success? Can there be success when you have no aim? In the movie asked the war council comprised of Prince Caspian and his council: a black dwarf, a red dwarf, the badger; and of Peter, Edmund, and Susan – “Who are you doing this for?”

The black dwarf a little later suggested to Prince Caspian that they seek supernatural help – but not from Aslan. Like Abraham trying to fulfill God’s promise for Him, Prince Caspian nearly took matters into his own hands by giving them to the White Witch’s. “You can’t do this alone,” she coaxed the prince and then the high king from her icy prison.

Were there only two options? Was Peter forced to decide between losing to Miraz when no help would come, or surrendering to the White Witch? Was it so hard to wait for Aslan? My favorite scene of the movie is Peter leaning back against the broken stone table in Aslan’s Howe, gazing at the sculpture of Aslan carved against the wall behind the broken ice curtain in which Peter had been tempted by the White Witch hours before. He is deep in humble thought, feeling the weight of his mistakes and rebellion. I know what it is to fear getting up again, because you’ve let yourself fall so many times. I know what it is to only wish to see the face of my Lord.

How do you follow in a world without answers? What is this faith that demands you choose when you don’t even know all the options? Is it fair to ask us to wait on what we are not sure will come? Why is losing sometimes the plan?

Peter’s story is different from ours in two important ways: First, Peter had seen Aslan, long ago, and witnessed his power firsthand. Secondly, Peter did not have any written instructions to guide him, but we have the Bible. Prince Caspian had neither benefit and so, as Jesus told Thomas, was more blessed for believing truth he had not seen.

To God be all glory.