A Charge I give you

Now that Spring Semester has finished I'm doing some personal reading, which includes The Chronicles of Narnia. As I prepare for my thesis, which is focused on Creation, Redemption and human responsibility for Creation, the Magician's Nephew has come to life for me. I can't ignore that Chapters 10 and 11 are definitely an allegory of creation.

As I read the conclusion of Chapter 11 the charge of Genesis 1:28 became even more clear for me. Genesis 1:28 reads, "When God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” In recent years I have become more environmentally responsible. I am not, I repeat am not a tree hugger...although it does sound fun. Part of this responsibility comes out of my understanding of what it means when God commands, gives the charge to, Adam to govern and reign over creation, or as it appears in Genesis 2:15 "to watch over" creation. When we construct a mental lens that is formed from understanding of creation, which includes a mandate for us as human beings to care for creation, along with my thesis focus chapter 11 has a greater richness for me.

In Chapter 11 Aslan, the Christ figure throughout the Chronicles, states "Before the new clean land world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has already entered it...As Adam's race has done the harm, Adam's race shall help to heal it". Then as Chapter 11 concludes he asks the Cabby and his wife this series of question:

"Can you use a spade and a plough and raise food out of the earth"?
"Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly...and would you bring up your children and grandchildren to do the same"?
"And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will rise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat"?

When the Cabby answers in the affirmative then Aslan states, "Then...you will have done all that a King should do."

Each of these questions serves as a charge to me to reinforce the responsibility I have to care for creation. Too many times we interpret "Reign", "Govern", and "Watch over" as conquer, pillage, and rape, instead of care, protect, and , renew. Beginning to fulfill the charge given to the first King & Queen of Narnia would put us on the right path towards fulfilling our Genesis 1:28 mandate.

For "As Adam's race has done the harm, Adam's race shall help to heal it".