The Mission America Coalition is deeply committed to promoting national evangelism opportunities. While that commitment has not historically included supporting the distribution of movies the Coalition decided last year to actively promote the evangelism opportunities surrounding the release of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Remarkably, the Lord used the Passion movie to begin an extraordinary cultural phenomenon that engaged the Church and created thousands of opportunities to talk about the life and sacrifice of Christ to friends, family members and co-workers. While we did not expect to be presented with another media opportunity of that magnitude any time soon, the production of a movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ classic series The Chronicles of Narnia came to our attention early this year, and we began to watch its development with great interest.
As a friend and fellow professor at Oxford with J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings), C.S. Lewis is one of the greatest literary figures of the 20th Century. In addition to being a profoundly gifted Christian thinker and apologist, whose many scholarly works continue to inspire and challenge seminary students even today, Lewis also wrote the remarkable Narnia fantasy adventure series that has come to be regarded as one of literature’s most enduring and imaginative classics. Since its original publication, the series has sold more than 85 million books in 29 different languages, making it second only to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books in sales—and therefore represents a huge opportunity to influence our popular culture. Lewis’ unique ability to present Biblical truth in intriguing ways to adults (e.g., The Screwtape Letters) is equally effective for younger readers in these remarkable stories. As he wrote to some Maryland fifth graders in 1954, “I did not say to myself ‘Let us represent Jesus as He really is in our world by a Lion in Narnia’; I said ‘Let us suppose that there were a land like Narnia and that the Son of God, as He became a Man in our world, became a Lion there, and then imagine what would happen.’”
As we began to realize the potential impact of a blockbuster movie based on this premise, one that would have vast popular appeal in our culture as an epic struggle of good versus evil, but yet retain the “deeper magic” of bedrock Christian themes such as sacrifice, resurrection, and redemption, we quickly came to view the film—as we have viewed the books—as a huge opportunity for communicating the gospel message. The children of four generations have loved these books, and often recognized on their own what Lewis referred to as “the stories within the stories.” With the release of the Narnia film during this holiday season, we will be blessed with a unique opportunity to help perhaps millions of others to also realize that the story of Narnia is actually “the greatest story ever told.”
To take advantage of such a significant nationwide opportunity for evangelism, the Mission America Coalition is mobilizing Churches and Ministries to prepare for the film’s release as not only a teaching opportunity in our classrooms and pulpits, but as an opportunity to engage our culture with eternal truth.
When Aslan, the great Lion of Narnia, told the children that they would soon have to return to the reality of their own country, the children were devasated.
“’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.’”
Let’s join together and help young people—and the young at heart of all ages—experience the Lion of Narnia, and then learn about Him by His real name, and as He really exists in our world. This movie has the potential of reaching deep into our culture, and we believe that millions of hearts will be captured by the compelling story of a great and powerful—yet kind and gentle—One who had such love for the world that He would humble Himself, and give His own life to save it.
Help us prepare the church for this opportunity by convening at Narnia Sneak Peek event in your community.
Learn more about this opportunity or apply to be a convener.
The views expressed herein do not represent those of the Walt Disney Company, Walden Media, The C.S. Lewis Estate, or the filmmakers, but are rather the views of various organizations who have created these events specifically for leaders in the faith and family community.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, NARNIA, and all book titles, characters and locales original thereto are trademarks of C.S. Lewis Pte Ltd. and are used with permission. © Disney/Walden.
