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I grew up in an old farm house that dated back before the civil war. It had been renovated several times, yet it still embodied many of the elements that are typical of a house from that time period.
As you can imagine, growing up in an old house can have its benefits for a kid. There was an enchantment about the house; much like a mystery that was my very own to solve. It was the perfect place to dwell and experience adventure at the same time. However, creaking floors and noises in the house when you’re home alone do not logically elicit a positive response. Often they would result in me snuggling up under the thick quilted covers of my bed. My bed was a place of warmth and security, my safe place. I think all the ghost stories I heard at school got to me and sometimes I couldn’t bear to look to see if I was scared.
One HOT summer night as I lay down to sleep (we didn’t have air conditioning), I heard a creaking sound in my room. If I had been a gambler I would have placed all my money on the fact that there was a monster in my closet. I promptly dashed under my covers. A few minutes later, my mother happened to come in and check on me.
“Why are you under the covers?” she whispered through the darkness. “Isn’t it hot under there?”
Still frightened, I didn’t respond.
Then she said, “Its ok, there is nothing here it’s just me. Don’t you want to come out?”
I peaked out of the covers. “Ok” I said timidly. My mother is a smart woman and she knew how to make me reassess everything.
This is also precisely the question the Scriptures ask each of us. Do you want to come out and see? Do you want to know, in your heart, the truth?
In the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, during a game of hide and seek, four children accidentally fall into the enchanted realm known as Narnia while hiding in a wardrobe. At first it seems like a winter wonderland, safe yet exciting. Come to find out, things are not what they seem. The magical land they entered with all its beautiful creatures had fallen under the spell of the white witch. With her magic powers, she had set a winter upon the land where Christmas never comes and all in the kingdom of Narnia is under her control.
However, a rumor was circulating around Narnia: A rumor of hope. “Aslan is on the move!” The mere mention of the name of Aslan, the great lion and true King of Narnia, causes joy to well up in the hearts of many. There is a beautiful glory to be found in the Narnia that the witch is suppressing, something that Aslan can restore. The white witch knows this, and will do anything to prevent that glory from being displayed.
By luring Edmund, the second youngest child of the four, with Turkish Delights, the witch tricks him into working for her. Edmund turns from seeing with his heart and while distracted by the Delights, lets himself be used for her own purpose without even knowing it.
You see, there is a battle going on here that is way bigger than just surviving the winter cold faced by the children. They were simply unaware of what was unfolding before them. Edmund left his heart at the door in exchange for what he saw as a great deal. In this case, free candy at the Queen’s (white witch) castle. Who wouldn’t go for that?
Our world isn’t that much different than Narnia. In fact, there to is a battle that is constantly going on that we can’t see with our eyes. And, isn’t this what the gospels have been telling us all along? The apostle John tells us that “the whole world lies under the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19)
We too, like Edward, check our hearts at the door. Without knowing it, we often give up seeing with our hearts. It could be caused by the stress of classes, poor test performance, personal rejection from one we love deeply, loss of a friend or loved one, or even an addiction. If we are able to keep a firm grasp on our true hearts long enough to make it through all that, the Devil finds another way to distract us from what’s really important.
In Old Testament times, the Canaanites often worshiped gods like Baal, and other idols made of wood. Today idols are not so much made of wood but made by Sony, Mercedes-Benz, Samsung, and Panasonic. Yes, the Devil won’t even hesitate to use the greatest innovations of the 21st century to trick us into abandoning our hearts. And he know just which delights to offer.
Whatever the cause may be, it remains crucial that we don’t lose sight of what’s at stake. We can’t just crawl under the covers. We need to see. We need our hearts to do it. There is a battle going on, remember?
Madonna may have been a material girl in a material world, but this world is just temporary. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul admonishes us to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthains 4:18, NIV). Worldly things are not going to last anyway.
So, how are we supposed to see what in unseen or invisible?
Simple, we see with the eyes of our hearts. Lucky for us, Jesus knew what the Devil was planning and warned us by saying “Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink” (Luke 12:29 NIV). In other words don’t set your heart on things of this world that you think will bring you fulfillment. I’m not saying that material things made by companies like Sony are instruments of the Devil; Quite the opposite. They are good. We just can’t allow ourselves to set our hearts on them. Jesus reminds us “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34, NIV). Your heart will be with your treasure. If your heart is in the world, like Edmund, you will not be prepared to fight. We all need our harts so we can come out from under the covers to see the truth and fulfill the bigger part of God’s plan for each of us.
Devon Minarik is a junior Interdisciplinary Studies major and a Student Leader for the Ambassadors for Christ at Virginia Tech. Ambassadors for Christ is a small and growing campus ministry affiliated with the Blacksburg Church of Christ. My interests include ultra-marathons, triathlons, adventure in the wild, cooking, and photography.
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