The Bishop's Letters
Click here to for the PDF version
My friend, Bishop Neil Lebhar (a one-time Assistant Rector at Truro Church), shared with me a moving personal letter, written by C.S. Lewis to a mother, whose young son was concerned that he was loving Aslan more than Jesus—Aslan being the Lion whom Lewis created to represent Jesus in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the other books of The Chronicles of Narnia.
The letter is an absolute delight. It is thoughtful, kind and written with a humble tenderness which moved me to tears. Here is what Lewis wrote:
Magdalene College
Cambridge
May 6, 1955
Dear Mrs. Krieg,
Tell Laurence from me, with all my love:
1. Even if he was loving Aslan more than Jesus (I’ll explain in a moment why he can’t really be doing this) he would not be an idol-worshipper. If he was an idol-worshipper he’d be doing it on purpose, whereas he’s now doing it because he can’t help doing it, and trying hard not to do it. But God knows quite well how hard we find it to love Him more than anyone or anything else, and He won’t be angry with us as long as we are trying. And He will help us.2. That Laurence can’t really love Aslan more than Jesus, even if he feels that’s what he is doing. For the things he loves Aslan for doing or saying are simply the things Jesus really did and said. So that when Laurence thinks he is loving Aslan, he is really loving Jesus: and perhaps loving Him more than he ever did before. Of course there is one thing Aslan has which Jesus has not – the body of a lion. (But remember, if there are other worlds and they need to be saved and Christ were to save them - as He would – He may really have taken all sorts of bodies in them which we don’t know about). Now if Laurence is bothered because he finds a lion-body seems nicer to him than the man-body, I don’t think he need be bothered at all. God knows all about the way a little boy’s imagination works (He made it, after all) and knows that at a certain age the idea of talking and friendly animals is very attractive. So I don’t think He minds if Laurence likes the lion-body. And anyway, Laurence will find in a few years, as he grows older, that feeling (liking the lion-body better) will die away of itself, without his taking any trouble about it. So he needn’t bother.
3. If I were Laurence I’d just say in my prayers something like this: “Dear God, if the things I have been thinking and feeling about those books are things you don’t like and are bad for me, please take those thoughts and feelings away. But if they are not bad, then please stop me from worrying about them. And help me every day to love you more in the way that really matters far more than any feelings or imaginations by doing what you want and growing more like you.” That is the sort of thing I think Laurence should say for himself; but it would be kind and Christian-like if he then added “And if Mr. Lewis has worried any other children by his books or done them any harm, then please forgive him and help him never to do it again.”
Will this help? I am terribly sorry to have caused such trouble, and would take it as a great favour if you would write again and tell me how Laurence goes on. I shall of course have him daily in my prayers. He must be a corker of a boy: I hope you are prepared for the possibility he might turn out a saint! I daresay the saints’ mothers have, in some ways, a rough time!
Yours sincerely,
C. S. Lewis
It is amazing to think of the world-renowned scholar taking the time to hand-write such a letter for the sake of a young child. You can see a copy of the letter itself here, along with more about the now grown up boy and the ministry he’s involved with in Israel.
May God give us all the grace to disciple and encourage others with such love.