Why the author name of “Caspian’s Friend?”
Posted on February 28, 2003
Filed Under All Things Narnian, Some slightly auto-biographical stuff | Leave a Comment
Who am I referring to and why? I’ll give you a hint: Capsian’s Friend refers to a character in the Chronicles of Narnia books.
Here’s another hint: He was the cousin of Lucy and Edmund. Need another hint? He was an unwelcome guest during The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, an adventure that was led by Caspian, king of Narnia.
How about this hint? He was turned into a dragon during that adventure.
It was then that he saw himself for the dragony, selfish, greedy, peevish, bullying, ugly creature that he really was down inside. Once he came to grips with this truth, Aslan turned him back in to a boy, or rather, Aslan pealed back the dragon skin (a very painful process!) and pulled out the boy inside. He then tossed the boy into a near by pool to bathe him and wash off what was left of his dragon residue. When he came out of the pool, Aslan clothed him in new clothes, Narnian clothes, and they were splendid. Perfect for the adventures that lie ahead.
In The Silver Chair, this same boy returns to Narnia. There he reflects back on his Dawn Treader voyage and how Caspian graciously endured him and even defended him before he was a dragon, how Caspian would not abandon him while he was a dragon and actually relied on him after he was a boy again. “I suppose he’s about the best friend a chap could have,” the boy said, and he should know the value of a friend. For before his adventures on the Dawn Treader Eustice Clarance Scrubb, former dragon, had never had any friends.
Truth is, I’m rather dragon-like down inside (Romans 3:23). Fortunately for me, I went through a similar painful/blessed process of seeing myself for who I really am (Romans 6:23a). If you are born again, as Jesus once said, then you know how painful the process can be of letting “Aslan” tear back all of the scales, baptize you (remember the pool Eustice was tossed into?), and clothe you in His clothes of righteousness (remember Eustice’s new Narnian clothes?).
Perhaps there has been a Caspian or two in your life who endured you when you were far from God, and who stuck with you during your painful journey of becoming “undragoned.” Perhaps you, like Eustice, have seen that being dragon like inside is a very lonely life. Having a true friend thanks to the common bond you have in Jesus, is a very special gift.
Caspian’s Friend is someone who was once a dragon, and who can still act like a dragon from time to time. But thanks to Jesus, he will never be enslaved by those “scales” again.
there’s a little bit of dragon in all of us
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.