"[In your world,] I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there." ~ Aslan, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
It was time for Edmund and Lucy Pevensie to grow up and live in their own world. Their own unmagical, unadventurous England. "It isn't Narnia, you know," Lucy tells Aslan. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?" As much as Lu would miss Narnia's rolling plains, open oceans, white castles, and dear creatures, her attachment is to the lion. The lion promises that he will always watch over them. "Are -- are you there too, sir?" Ed asks. And that's when Aslan tells them that he indeed is, but by another Name. (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, "The Very End of the World")
Edmund and Lucy knew Aslan probably better than any other visitor to Narnia. They fought for him, were crowned by him, revered him, Ed was redeemed by him, Lu had the greatest faith in him, and they even had fun with him. They knew him. They loved him. We can assume that they searched for that Name and probably even found it.
But the lion's simple words were not just meant for the children. Just as they had grown to love Aslan during their adventures in Narnia, we have too. And it's time for us to put the book down (or turn off the CD or eject the DVD) and live and grow up in our own unmagical, unadventurous world. It's time for us to go search and discover this mysterious "Other Name".
There are many Narniacs who know this Other Name. Many knew it before they ever knew about Aslan. But regardless of whether or not you know it yourself, there is always something to learn about that Other Name. I find that I learn something new or am reminded about something I already know each time I enter Narnia.
Named by a phrase found in a C.S. Lewis quote, "The Value of Myth" is dedicated to mining the gems of truth rooted in Narnia's rich soils.
And though we know Aslan for a little in Narnia, we may find that through Narnia, we understand Him even a little better here.
"The value of myth is that it takes all the things you know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the veil of familiarity." ~ C.S. Lewis
