Christianity faces a tall order in explaining God’s forgiveness. On the surface, it just seems too simple. A person can do any evil, and God guarantees a full pardon? Paul anticipates the problem in Romans 6:15 – “So should we sin more that grace may abound? Of course not!”
This is where I’m grateful for storytellers who can draw a more realistic picture of forgiveness than I can put into words.
Take CS Lewis’ character Eustace Scrubb from the Narnian chronicle, The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader.” In the course of the story’s adventure, this annoying youngster – so miserable he “almost deserved” such an unfortunate name – stumbles upon a dragon’s hoard, which inspires in him such greedy and self-centered thoughts that he actually turns into a dragon. When the awful reality of his transformation dawns on him, Eustace confronts the truth: “He was a monster cut off from the whole human race.” Only then is he able to value the companions for whom he had previously had such disdain.
So begins, Eustace’s journey of forgiveness.
Deprived of a voice, he has to use his dragon tears to communicate his dilemma to his shipmates. Their compassion eases his loneliness and for a time, he finds purpose by performing helpful tasks only a dragon can accomplish – like hefting a tree from its roots to replace the Dawn Treader’s mast. “It became clear to everyone that Eustace’s character had been rather improved by becoming a dragon.”
After about a week of service, Eustace the dragon meets Aslan – the lion Savior of Narnia. The lion commands him to “undress.” Confused, Eustace supposes Aslan means for him to shed his skin, and he proceeds to slough off three dragon skins only to find himself still un-human. Here the Lion interjects, “You will have to let me undress you.” A deep and painful tear from the lion claw rips into the dragon scales and, at last, Eustace is back to being a boy again.
The new Eustace’s first impulse is to apologize to everyone. In his British schoolboy speak he manages: “I’m afraid I’ve been pretty beastly.”
After that Lewis confides to his readers: “It would be nice, and fairly nearly true, to say that ‘from that time forth Eustace was a different boy.’ To be strictly accurate, he began to be a different boy. He had relapses. … But … the cure had begun.”
So it is with all those God forgives. We, unfortunately, have our relapses, but, nonetheless, the serum for our recovery is in our bloodstream and the cure is sure in the end.
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