Becoming What We Desire and God's Redemption

Greetings everyone-

I'm in a class on C.S. Lewis this term, which is awesome.  Right now we're reading through a Narnia book for each week and discussing how Lewis' theology shows up in these stories.  For this week we read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so the main characters are the four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.  I was struck by Edmund, who you may recall goes over to the Witch's side at first.  Something that stands out in the book, even more than in the recent movie, is his desire for food (he has a serious sweet tooth).  The Witch gives him Turkish Delight when they first meet and he becomes obsessed with getting back to her ... to get more Turkish Delight.  When he does get back to her, she gives him stale bread because he didn't bring his siblings with him.  He gets what he desires, food, but he chooses the selfish and evil path and thus his desire comes true, but in a less than good fashion.

Then, redemption steps in.  The Witch brings Edmund with her to chase the other children and along the way they spot squirrels, satyrs, a dwarf, and a fox enjoying a fine meal given them by Father Christmas.  Edmund, naturally, really wants the great food they have, but the Witch is enraged by their joy and turns them all to stone.  In that moment, Edmund heart breaks for them.  In that moment, his desire is redeemed by the Divine and he turns back to the good side.

Interestingly, I'm also taking a class on 1 and 2 Corinthians and I saw this theme play out there this week as well.  We're studying Paul a fair bit to better understand his letters, and before he began following Christ he was a Pharisee.  In fact, he was a very committed Pharisee (he calls himself a Pharisee of Pharisees).  The three chief components of this way of life were zeal, the Law, and belief in the resurrection.  Then, Jesus appears to him dramatically and he begins to follow Christ ... his life changes dramatically.  However, the things at his core don't change, they are just redeemed by God and shifted to Christ.  He is still zealous, still affirms the goodness of the Law, and believes in the resurrection, they just all become transformed into passions aimed at Christ.

Both Edmund and Paul had strong desires that guided them, badly at first.  Then, when God redeemed them, their redemption includes and redeems their passions.  Put differently, redemption doesn't destroy their passions, it turns them for good, it turns them for Christ.



How has God's redemption touched your desires and passions?

Grace and peace,
Lang