Openness and Divine Potential
The magical world of Narnia exists as a place of ultimate freedom. Within it, there is a nature with an openness not found in our world. Here fairy tales and imagination blossom in a more transparent yet more concrete way. Right and wrong appear more distinct. The possibilities within Narnia appear endless. The honesty and the other-worldliness in Narnia create the real growth the Pevinsies experience. To truly embrace Narnia is to be un-fettered. This world holds us back. Every day we are bombarded with messages that we are not good enough, smart enough, or attractive enough. Before long, a chain of doubts, insecurities, and proprieties find the Gods within us crammed into neat little boxes. Entering Narnia changes all that. Narnia is a place where divine potential is unleashed.
The Pevensies enter as children but exit as Kings and
Queens. Narnia, therefore, is real and
transformational. The same openness that
pervades Narnia is the very key to entering it.
Lucy, in her childlike innocence, finds entrance easily. Her siblings, however, do not believe her. They are unable
to believe her because of their own gradual acceptance of the limits this world
places on us. After some persuasion from
Professor Kirke, they find themselves more open to the idea and eventually do
make their way into the magical land. Even
once they are finally within Narnia, however, it takes them some time to truly
find themselves and break the bonds our world has placed on them. They speak of just getting back or just being
interested in finding Edmund. Once they
recognize that they are to be the fulfillment of the Narnian prophecies, they
find themselves doing things beyond their pre-conceived abilities: slaying a
wolf, leading an army, healing the wounded, and ruling as King and Queen. This freedom from the bounds of this world
opened the way for more than just the Pevinsies to realize their own potential;
it transformed Lewis’ readers.
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