Have you ever just had a fight with someone that you are close with and you are possibly even just really angry with them, but you still love them? And, have you been put into different situations and you truly must change and adapt to survive? Well then, I truly believe that you have a connection with Edmund Pevensie. Today is just like any other day, but I still feel like I’ve walked through the wardrobe and found myself lost.
Today is a special day for me and while I’m excited I am a bit nervous. I’m going to drive to Los Angeles airport to pick up my girlfriend who is coming in from Germany for a two-week visit. I happen to not have a car right now so my brother and his wife are going to drive me (speaking of which I’m writing this on the drive there). Well because of life’s situations, my brother and I end up having a row between us, as we are about to go on this trip, which is supposed to be fun-filled and exciting. Now do you see the connection? I’m Edmund and well, my brother’s name does happen to be Peter. I may have been just slightly offended, but overreacted on my part, and he being stressed about other issues in life is hurt by my reaction. So the unnecessary barrier between us is built just like in the beginning of the book of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Edmund and Peter truly do love each other and don’t want a rift created to set them apart, but as is in the story, Edmund has been going to a different school. Which in fact, Lucy exclaims is the source for his beginning to turn just quite awful. What is known though is that she loves him to death and loved whom he truly is deep down.
Now once Edmund has gone and been with the White Witch and truly sees beyond the magic of the Turkish Delight; which I must say could be a weakness of mine also. What can I say I love a good treat too. Though that’s not what I wish to point out, but rather the fact that Edmund makes the comment to himself that he would love to be back with the others, even Peter. Though he doesn’t realize that until he has gone out of Narnia and been back and had his miserable trek to the Witch’s house. And all that while he knew that he was wrong, but his lust for becoming powerful and showing the others he was right made him blind to the truth. Then the comment comes while he is in a miserable state. This is just another slight but subtle comment about Edmunds’ character being truly a good person deep down. We know he truly is, and becomes just a great king, so this comes as no surprise to you. I’m just outlining all of this for you to show how there is a bit of Edmund in all of us.
You have probably come to your senses at one point or another in life. If not, well I will certainly be praying for you, ha. Anyways, we all have at one time. At first you are still like a child, no matter what age you are you do not want to come out and say “yeah, I was an idiot” or a jerk. You make small steps to which you say, “Yeah, I’m sorry.” Sometimes when it comes to a person that you love, but you just rub wrong sometimes, you just give them as much as you can and that may not be enough. Edmund gives Peter a “yeah, it’s ok” when Peter says he’s sorry about getting on his case and all. Again, this is certainly an area I can attest to. Today, my mom had a little chitchat with me and my brother about just realizing the detriment of letting things keep going on and just not communicating the issue from both sides. We didn’t really say so much as an I’m sorry or anything, but there was the brother mutual, well yeah okay. We both just get over things that way I suppose. I know I use to have a best friend and during high school, we both stopped talking to each other and it was, well, a mutual thing. Neither of us was too bothered by it, at least from my understanding. I really feel that is sort of the man Edmund is, even though he is a boy, he really acts like a man does.
Now in the book, that moment happened just as Aslan and Edmund had a talk in the morning. We do not know what was said. What I do believe is that it was a talk about life. How to not let the small things become big and the big things become small. Such as a dispute or a row to become a big problem and how a good relationship can become so insignificant that you would betray them (mind he was under a bit of influence), though that was a magic that let him focus on his hateful thoughts to accomplish a goal for another. When people get pushed and shoved and just beaten down by life, they tend to tip over to the negative side of the knife. It cuts them deep and it doesn’t stop until they are wiped clean of it. Aslan did that for Edmund. He willingly beat the old magic with an even deeper one. Love.
Now I do not know who will read this, but I do know that some may or may not believe this story to be an allegory whatsoever. Even if you do not believe it, you must at least see the same elements within such a story. Things such as anguish, love, pain, sacrifice, and forgiveness; all of these things are a part of our daily lives. If you can’t see it as a Christian allegory, at least see it as an allegory of life. We all go through these issues; we all react differently to what life spins in our direction. So all I can say to you is take courage in that. Know that you are not alone as there is always someone out there that has been what you may be going through right now or will go through. What it really takes is a little bit of effort to seek the help you need in life. Its out there, you just have to be willing to step into that wardrobe and find a whole new life waiting for you.
So what is Edmund’s connection then? Well it’s the fact that we are all still in fact human. We make mistakes and have our pride. The good news is that, there is help around the corner. We just have to make that trip across the flooded street. We may arrive drenched and cold, but look for that someone willing to give you warmth and shelter. I truly believe people today have lost their belief in love. Just know that it does exist, I can’t prove it to you in a story or whatever. What I can tell you is have hope, and seek it and you will find what you need. And sometimes it comes looking for you. Everyone needs to be released and forgiven. Forgiveness is the essence of our connection to Edmund. Forgiveness and Love is what this book is about.