There Is A Rumor

THERE IS A RUMOR: ASLAN IS ON THE MOVE!

Song of Solomon 2: 11-12; Amos 3:15; Ps. 143:3-4;Rev. 21:1-8; 22:1-5: Isaiah 40:1-6; 35:1-2

INTRODUCTION

There is a rumor going around and I thought you might like to know about it. A rumor can be a dangerous thing. Often rumors are used by one person or groups of persons against another to either gain control over them or to malign them in some way so as to elevate themselves in others’ eyes. However, Merriam Webster offers the following definition: Rumor - talk or opinion widely disseminated with no discernible source. While we want to be cautious about spreading false rumors and it is usually wise to check our sources, Webster’s definition allows for the possibility that NOT all rumors are evil. That said, I heard a rumor the other day that put a little fire in my heart. Would you like to know what it is? Come a little closer! Listen carefully! There are ears listening that we don’t want to hear. It is really exciting news. It may be the most exciting news ever shared. ASLAN IS ON THE MOVE!

For those of you who have had the opportunity to either read the book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, or to see the movie playing on the silver screen now, you know what I am referring to. If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, please allow me to give you a sneak peak into one of the most beloved stories ever penned. This book is a part of the series: The Chronicles of Narnia written by one of the greatest minds in history, C. S. Lewis. Lewis was a teacher of Medieval Literature at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England, was formerly an avowed atheist, but marvelously converted and became one of the most well-known Christian authors of the 20th Century.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a fictional story set in England during WWII. Four children(Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) have been sent to the country to live with the Professor because London is under attack by the Nazi’s. They are sternly warned by the housekeeper not to ever disturb the Professor, so they could not touch many things and they could not be loud. A problem often occurs in England and that is it rains a lot. Being trapped inside and with much time on their hands Lucy, the youngest, suggests they play hide and seek. Peter begins to count and the others scamper to find the best hiding places. Lucy wanders into a room which is empty except for a large Wardrobe. She opens the door, walks in and begins to move through the hanging clothes to the back of the Wardrobe. Suddenly, she finds herself having walked into another kingdom, the Kingdom of Narnia. Narnia is a land, which in C. S. Lewis’ mind, is a picture of life both with and without Christ. When Lucy stumbles into this enchanted land, she and the others discover through the testimony of the creatures who live there that Narnia is under the curse of the White Witch. Narnia has been in a perpetual winter for over 100 years and its inhabitants live in constant fear. They are without hope and are under the control of evil. One of the creatures makes the statement that in Narnia “it is always winter but never Christmas.” While the four are visiting a family of beavers, they are discussing the terrible plight of the land of Narnia. Suddenly, Beaver leans forward and whispers to them a rumor he has heard, ASLAN IS ON THE MOVE. The children discover that Aslan is the rightful king and that he is amassing an army to defeat the White Witch and break the power of winter and they also learn they are important players in this battle.

Of course, those with keen hearts quickly recognize that Narnia is truly a dramatic portrayal of both the lives of men with and without Christ. For all who do not know our Lord it is “always winter and never Christmas”. Hope, promise, future are all a forgotten dream covered over with the ice and snow of years of disobedience. The Rumor that Aslan is on the Move brings a glimmer of hope to a hopeless world.

At Christmas each year multitudes of Christians over the earth celebrate the Joy which Came to the World 2000 years ago and broke the curse of sin for all who would accept the Son of God as their personal Savior. But for numerous others this year it remains “always winter and never Christmas”. You know, you never know who may stumble into your world one day. It could be a Lucy or an Edmond. It might be a stranger or a relative. When it happens we must be ready…ready to share with them a rumor, a rumor that will start a fire in their heart that will melt the ice and snow and warm them from the inside out. What is that rumor? I believe the Bible has something to say about this greatest of all rumors. Let us look for a moment and discover how this rumor can help a lost world.