Bigger inside than out

This is the third and last write up of the talks that were held at Canterbury Cathedral by the Archbishop.

I will be honest, this talk was amazing. It was constantly making me go "wow" and "mmm" I even wrote 5 pages worth of notes! Strangely though, I found this one unmemorable; I could still quite happily repeat the first and second talk, as they really did "talk" to me. And although this talk was amazing, I wonder how much it really spoke to me, even if i did write so much; I suspect this is because it was probably slightly over my head intellectually!

And don't worry, I won't write up the five pages of notes, but I will try to state a few things that stood out for me.

The talk was titled bigger inside and out, I automatically thought of the Tardis from Doctor Who rather than the concept of the wardrobe from the C.S.Lewis story, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, so for me, it was a pleasure when the Archbishop said the same thing. This reminder was shown to not show the resemblance in stories, but the concept that we are always seeking a place beyond what we know and often find it beyond mysterious doors.

In the story of the last battle, there is a stable on top of a hill that when opened towards the end, on the reveal they see a mirrored world of Narnia, but again like the wardrobe what you saw inside was bigger than what was out. It was described that the Narnia we had experienced was just like the world we live in now, there is a beginning and an end, but in this "new Narnia" the further you went in the bigger it got.

With the Archbishop discussing this he adds, "To go in is not retreating but to find more in depth to ourselves" This really stood out for me, especially since the previous night was discussing dealing with the truth inside you.

He continues with the story for the Last Battle, where he describes a scene where the more deeply in their own place (where you are currently in either, England, Earth or Narnia) on a ridge of a mountain. Each ridge goes inwards, going as spurs linked to a mountain, amongst other mountains found in the great country of Aslan. He mirrored this concept with St Maximus the confessor, where he describes that every thing is built on a word, the word, the word of God, that with the coherent word that ultimately we will lead to God.

All creation is becoming more and more of themselves, becoming more true. Where the image of truth will grow within us. Even our understanding of God. Which again, is hinted in the story of Prince Caspian.

In Lucy’s first encounter with Aslan in this story, she says:

“Aslan, Aslan. Dear Aslan. At last.”…She gazed up into the large wise face. “Welcome child,” he said.“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.” “That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.“Not because you are?”“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

On the whole, the talk was saying that with our faith, when met with truth, and being able to strip away the sin and self deceit, that as discussed previously, will grow. We will grow greater inside than out, out growing in faith. The Last Battle ends with the words:

 "All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

For me the three talks were great and were summed up well in three parts.

1: In the stories of Narnia, Aslan and Narnia helps us to see an active and live God.
2: Narnia helps us tell our own story, truthfully and in the presence of love.
3: It helps us understand and see the experiences in our world, knowing that we open up to more.

Ultimately, it allows us to know God just a little bit more at the end of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader when the children are told for now they will not be returning to Narnia, we are shown this further:

"It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"
"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.
"Are -are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.
"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."