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One of the reasons I love fiction so much is that it can
help me capture important truths in a memorable way that permanently changes my
mind, heart, and perspective. One of my
favorite books is The Last Battle, by
C.S. Lewis. Many of you are familiar
with this last book of the Narnia
series, especially since the first three books of the series have been put on
film.
At the end of The Last
Battle, friends of Narnia find themselves in a losing battle against their
Calormene enemies. Eventually they are
thrown into a small, dark stable, presumably to be consumed by the Calormene
god, Tash. These characters are
surprised to find themselves in an entirely new place, full of sunlight and
fresh air. They are met in this new
place by old characters from other Narnia
books—Digory and Polly, Peter, Edmund, and Lucy. As they try to understand what has happened,
they realize that the stable door through which they were thrown was not an end
but a beginning.
Tirian, the last King of Narnia, observes, “It seems, then,
that the stable seen from within and the stable seen from without are two
different places.”
Tirian is answered with this comment: “Yes, its inside is
bigger than its outside.”
It is Lucy’s comment that is the most significant: “In our
world too, a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than the whole
world.”
It took an episode from the Dr. Who series to help me realize that this concept applies to
people: In the Dr. Who episode, a character asks the Doctor: “Is everyone like
you, bigger on the inside than on the outside?”
Unfortunately, I believe the answer is, “No.” The “size” of our “insides” depends on what
is going on inside. If we go about our
days focused on ourselves and intent on earning or proving our worth and/or
righteousness, our insides will shrink.
Likewise, if we choose the path of bitterness, if we make ourselves feel
better at the expense of others, or if we excuse our bad attitude and behavior,
we will become an empty shell of a person.
On the other hand, if we go about our days focused on our
Lord and intent on following, pleasing, and glorifying Him, our insides will
expand. Likewise, if we practice
forgiveness, encourage others for who they are in Christ, and humbly confess
and repent when we are confronted by our sin, we will become like the
stable—much bigger on the inside than on the outside. May it be so.
