Transforming the Dragon... Part I

My three children do not know it yet, but they are slowly becoming fans of C.S. Lewis. They recently just completed all seven books in Lewis's masterpiece 'The Chronicles of Narnia.' Much could be said about these books and all the lessons the kids have learned thus far, but the one lesson that I wanted to share is not one that the kids are learning, but one that their father is learning.

Three of the books have already been turned into films and the beauty of these films is that we are able to get a visual glimpse of what was in C.S. Lewis' mind when he put his visions of Narnia to paper. In the third film, 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' - we are introduced to a young boy named Eustace. In many ways, Eustace is the one who represents so many of us - a bit cranky, moody, rude and selfish. He was a boy who was unable to imagine the unimaginable - that is until he was brought into the world of Narnia.

Eustace was not magically transformed upon entry into Narnia, rather another character flaw of Eustace revealed itself when he was confronted with endless riches. Simply put, Eustace was a greedy little boy. In his greed, Eustace grabbed for something that was not his and the consequences of his greed was that he became an unsightly dragon. In all reality, his outward appearance now reflected what was on the inside.

As I've watched this film numerous times, I've wondered if my outer being were to be transformed to reflect my inner being, what would I look like? I've chosen not to speculate on that as I fear the picture might not always be a pretty one.

As the film goes on, Eustace, though a dragon, begins to experience a transformation of sorts - a transformation not from being a dragon to a boy, rather the one being transformed was the dragon. Eustace, that is to say the dragon, begins to display acts of courage and selflessness. In many ways, Eustace becomes a hero within the story; the dragon becomes that which the boy never would have known.

Despite the selfless and heroic acts of the dragon, Eustace desires to become a boy once again, but the question becomes how will the dragon be transformed into a boy? Enter Aslan the Lion; the Christ figure. When the dragon is confronted by Aslan on the shores of Narnia, the dragon is not only defeated - unable to become that which he desires to be, a boy once again, but he is also humbled to be in the presence of Aslan the King. The King looks at the dragon with his penetrating eyes and begins to dig his claws into the sand. As Aslan the Lion claws away, something begins to happen to the dragon - layers, and layers of dragon skin begin to be peeled back. With many claws and one final loud roar, the transformation is complete - all the dragon skin has been peeled away and what remains is a boy.

When the boy Eustace is reunited with his friends and traveling companions, he is asked the question - 'what was it like when Aslan changed you back?' Eustace's response is telling - "No matter how hard I tried. I just couldn't do it myself. Then he came towards me, and it sort of hurt, but it was a good pain. Like when you pull a thorn from your foot."

What happened to Eustace is called sanctification. In part 2 of this post, I will examine in further detail how God is actively pulling back the layers of our dragon skin to reveal something much greater within each of us.