February 23, 2004
" In C.S. Lewis's most famous Narnia chronicle, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the children - Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund - enter Narnia through a wardrobe in their uncle's home. Edmund has already given allegiance to the witch and sneaks off to join ranks with her. The other three children go to the home of the Beavers, a wary but hospitable pair. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver tell the children that they will take them to see the King, Aslan.
"Is - is he a man?" asked Lucy.
"Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan a lion - the Lion, the great Lion."
"Ooh," said Susan. "I thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will dearie, and no mistake." said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver, "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you."
-Your God is too Safe, Mark Buchanan
Safe? Don't you hear what I'm saying? Who said anything about safe?
The safe god asks nothing of us, gives nothing to us. He never drives us to our knees in hungry, desperate praying and never sets us on our feet in fierce, fixed determination. He never makes us bold to dance. The safe god never whispers in our ears anything but greeting card slogans, typical Christian jargon and certainly never asks that we embarrass ourselves by shouting out from the rooftop.
A safe god inspires neither awe, nor worship, nor sacrifice.
Who said anything about safe? 'Course He's not safe.
But He is good.
