humility and truth

I love the Narnia series. First of all, I simply love fantasy fiction. Fantasies are outlets for our imagination, infinite and free. Though, the truly excellent fantasies are those which manage to illustrate the human experience poignantly and seamlessly. This is the Chronicles of Narnia. It is filled with symbolism, life lessons, and physical and spiritual truth.

This small exchange of dialogue that occurs near the beginning of the last chapter of Prince Caspian comes to my mind.

"Welcome, Prince," said Aslan. "Do you feel yourself sufficient to take up the Kingship of Narnia?"

"I - I don't think I do, Sir," said Caspian. "I'm only a kid."

"Good," said Aslan. "If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that you were not. Therefore, under us and under the High King, you shall be King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands."

I find this to be spiritual truth. And the first life application I think of is love. True love. What is it? Who deserves it? Who can give it?

I would say, those who understand true love are those who understand it is beyond us. The goodness, the holiness, the purity, the sacrifice of love is infinite and divine. To claim we can have love or deserve it is to put love down, it is to not understand love. The ability to experience love comes with the ability to know where it is which is above us.