Blind to Beauty, Just Like a Grumpy Dwarf

Image credit: A Rendle (2013), Flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0[/caption] Sometimes a person must not only hear the truth but see it dramatized either in someone else’s life or even in the life of a fictional character in a book.

Blind to Beauty

As I was reading The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S Lewis for the fourth time, the ridiculous behaviour of the dwarves literally slapped me in the face. I suddenly realized I behave exactly like one of Lewis' dwarves who are blind to the beauty of creation and the love of God, even when others around them are filled with joyful gratitude. This realization is literally changing my life. Whenever I slip into a misery mode, God brings this story to my mind and I laugh at myself. Laughter snaps me back into reality: the reality of the Presence of  God. In the final book of the Narnia series, the enemies of Aslan have imprisoned the children, a few animals, Prince Caspian, as well as disgruntled dwarves in a shed that is dank and dark, filled with putrid straw, stale water, and rotten cabbages to eat. A war against the evil forces rages outside. Outwardly, it seems that all is lost, yet the children, Prince, and animals hold on to the belief that Aslan, who is a Christ figure, will come and save Narnia. Of course, the dwarves mock their ridiculous faith. Suddenly Aslan appears, vanquishing the enemy, and the back of the prison crumbles revealing a glorious sight. It is Narnia, but more resplendent, filled with a radiant light. Everything is more colourful, beautiful, fragrant. It is a resurrected Narnia. Heaven has come to earth. A table, covered with a white cloth and laden with delicacies, beckons them. Everyone celebrates by feasting on the delicious food laid out before them as they delight in the beauty all around. The dwarves, hang back, suspicious and mistrustful. When they finally venture a nibble of a delicacy they spit it out in disgust. All the grumpy dwarves taste is stale water and rotten cabbages. All they see is the dark, dank prison. The grumpy dwarves refuse this new life that the other characters are enjoying right beside them.