The Stand To Reason blog has a thoughtful review on Prince Caspian. In short, Aslan is downgraded by the screen writers to the point of being weak and secondary. In fact, he is even an open theist.
I think STR makes valid points. I completely missed the open theist moment.
However, I still think the movie provides an excellent portrayal of faith. I had a great follow-up conversation with my sons about faith. I used the scene with Lucy at the bridge.
Faith is pulling your dagger out to face down an army of Telmarines. It is knowing you will win too, because of who is sitting right behind you. It is to have a quiet confidence that says, "bring it on."
As I told my class, "faith is a confident trust lived out." Scripture tells us faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Faith also expresses itself in love. We see all of these clearly in Lucy. Her adoring love for Aslan, her hope, her certainty and how it translates into action. She lives out her trust in Aslan in the bridge scene.
I tell my kids that we need to live out our lives knowing that Christ is in us, and greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world. I tell them to think of Lucy pulling out that dagger with Aslan perched right behind her. That is what faith looks like.
That's a very helpful definition of biblical faith. Thanks for sharing it!
Posted by: Keith | May 23, 2008 at 07:38
I do wish you hadn't used the "bring it on" phrase in that context, given your current president's well-known use of the comment. I remember a report on local news at the time where the woman being interviewed said about a soldier relative serving in Iraq (quoting very roughly) "President Bush told them to bring it on. Well they brought it on, and now my nephew is dead".
Posted by: Paul | May 23, 2008 at 09:24
Paul,
I have not heard W use that expression, but then again, I am sure you follow Bush more closely than I do.
Here is the truth of where I got the expression.
Posted by: Mr. D | May 23, 2008 at 11:01
"Well they brought it on, and now my nephew is dead"
While I don't want to minimize this woman's grief, that's just absurd. There is NO evidence that remark resulted in any increase in violence. It's just a throw-away smear.
Also, the troops THEMSELVES say "bring it on" in Iraq. One of the things they always tell the populace is to encourage the jihadists to attack so that they can kill them more quickly without having to bother looking for them.
Presumably her nephew was a volunteer.
I'm a veteran.
Back to topic, "Caspian" rocked. Especially Lucy's character.
Posted by: John M. | May 24, 2008 at 10:10
I have to agree (mostly). All portrayals are imperfect, and so we need to use the good examples where we find them.
One caveat to 'faith'. Faith is exercised in trusting what God says He will do. There are instances in the Bible where the correct response was not 'Bring it on' but, I surrender to the enemy (Jeremiah/Hezekiah). Whilst I don't think you think otherwise, it was a lesson I have recently gleaned from my quiet times...
Posted by: Alan Grey | May 26, 2008 at 03:00