"Prince Caspian": Courage in Faith

Faith is never easy. By definition, faith means believing in things even when they cannot be seen or proven. Courage is necessary and not always easy to find, especially when one must stand up against powerful people who mock or disparage one's faith. I've struggled with my own courage over the years, sometimes lamenting the fact that I find it so difficult to speak openly about my faith or to stand up to those who disparage it. The book and movie "Prince Caspian" brought to mind my personal struggle recently, particularly in the character of Lucy and her faith in Aslan.

In the story, Lucy sees Aslan as she, her siblings, and Trumpkin make their way along the river to meet with Caspian at Asland's How. Lucy is the only one to see Aslan, and she tells the others that he is on the other side of the river, beckoning the group to follow him. Peter and Susan doubt that Lucy saw Aslan, while Trumpkin flatly refuses to believe in Aslan at all. Only Edmund believes Lucy - she was, after all, the one who told the truth about the wardrobe, and no one believed her then either - but the two of them are outvoted by the rest of the group. The five travelers take a different route, which leads them straight to the Telmarine army (or, in the movie, into a plan that leads to a disastrous attack on Miraz's castle).

When she finally comes face to face with Aslan and tells him that she knew she saw him, but the others didn't believe her, Aslan asks Lucy why she didn't follow him anyway. Lucy is surprised - she couldn't just off on her own, could she? It is not easy to go against your older siblings (and an older dwarf), even when your faith is strong. But then Lucy realizes that she really could have, because she wouldn't have been alone - Aslan would have been with her.

Following the path of Christ is not always easy. The modern world often scoffs on those who put their faith in something other than that which when be seen and touched. People encourage Christians to take matters into their own hands rather than wait for God, and to follow their own pleasures rather than follow the example of Christ. Its easy to see the reasoning in these arguments, just as it was easy to see the logic in the path favored by Peter, Susan, and Trumpkin. And it is easy to understand why many people wouldn't want to follow Christ's path - it often involves denying pleasures, suffering through hardships, and waiting for something that is not guaranteed to come.

Lucy believed. Lucy was ready to follow Aslan. But the others were unwilling, and Lucy did not want strike out alone with only faith to guide her. However, this is exactly what Christ asks us to do. Just as the fishermen left everything to follow Christ, we are asked to place him above all else, trusting that God will take care of us. Believe me, I know this is scary. And to be honest, I cannot even begin to claim that I have given my mind, body, and soul to the service of God. I care about what my friends and family think, and I don't want to leave them or have them leave me. But I also have faith. I believe that God knows far more than I could ever know, and that it is best that his will be done. I want to be able to do what Lucy didn't - to say, "I'm taking this path. The rest of you should follow it too, but follow me or not, this is the way I'm going."

I hope I can be strong enough.