Death itself begins working backward

Hey friends,

While the cross and the empty tomb are the foundational imagery of Easter weekend and of Christianity itself, we’re all familiar with Easter’s other seasonal icons. There’s Lillies, and pastels, fancy hats and dresses, bunnies and baskets (and when I was a kid, there was plenty of scratchy uncomfortable Sunday church clothes as well).

There’s one image I cannot get out of my head at Easter: A Lion.

As most of you probably know by now, I’m a huge CS Lewis fan, and the Chronicles of Narnia actually inspired the name of our organization. The Stone Table was the location of (the Christ-character) Aslan’s death and resurrection in the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. The powerful resurrection scene has always given me chills.

The Witch had just murdered the great lion in a wicked ritual celebration. As Lucy and Susan walk away from his lifeless body weeping, there is an earthquake and a loud rumble. They turn to see the the resurrected Aslan standing in triumph over the remains of the fractured Stone Table with the rising sun silhouetting his flowing mane. It brings tears to my eyes every time. Here’s what Aslan tells them:

“When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Stone Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.”

–The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe