Remember the Signs

Everyone has their favorite books and moments in The Chronicles of Narnia. After The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, my favorite book in the series is The Silver Chair. And my favorite moment in The Silver Chair is Aslan's instructions to Jill before he blows her into Narnia.

For those who have not read the book, some context for the quote below. Running away from some school bullies, Jill and Eustace find themselves in Aslan's country, high, high above and far, far away from Narnia. The pair are dramatically separated, with Eustace ending up in Narnia. Aslan sends Jill on a quest to find Eustace and inform him of a quest both of them must undertake.

Before sending Jill to Narnia, Aslan shares with Jill "four signs" that will guide her and Eustace on their quest. Jill must remember these signs if they are to be successful. Much will go wrong should Jill forget. So Aslan drills Jill, asking her to repeat the signs over and over, until she's got them firmly memorized. Having accomplished this, before sending Jill down into Narnia from the heights of his country, Aslan gives Jill this final encouragement and warning:

“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”

As with so much in The Chronicles of Narnia, there are rich biblical and theological resonances in a passage like this. 

First, Aslan's whole speech echoes Deuteronomy 6:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

We see the call to remember the "signs" and "commandments" by making them a part of our daily routine. Aslan tells Jill to "Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night." Deuteronomy tells the children of Israel to "Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

The concern here, the reason for all this memory work, is the risk of forgetting. As Deuteronomy warns, "Be careful that you do not forget the Lord." Aslan gives Jill the same warning: "Remember, remember, remember the signs...Nothing else matters."

There are also New Testament echos in Aslan's description of why Jill may forget. Forgetting is caused by confusion: "Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind." In the New Testament, the work of the devil is described as confusing minds and clouding perceptions: "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Cor. 4.4.)

A large part of the spiritual life, it seems to me, is resisting this confusion. We forget the signs, grow confused, and become lost. And much of this is due to a lack of spiritual formation. As Aslan says, it is important to know the signs "by heart." Clarity of mind is achieved by rehearsing the signs "when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night." Otherwise, we'll forget the Lord.

All that to say, I think about this passage from The Silver Chair a lot. Each day, as I step out the door to start the day, I hear Aslan say to me:

"Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”