The Importance of Places
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
"I think," went on the learned man, "that they - or he will come back to one or other of the Ancient Places of Narnia. This, where we now sit, is the most ancient and most deeply magical of all, and here, I think, the answer is likeliest to come.
After one of the worst battles for Prince Caspian's army, a meeting is held between Caspian, Doctor Cornelius, Trumpkin, Nikabrik, and Trufflehunter in the ‘deeply magical’ site known as ‘Aslan’s How’, a hilly mound of earth that covered what had once been the Stone Table, the sacred site of The Great Lion’s sacrificial death. They decide that it is time for Caspian to blow Queen Susan's horn. Doctor Cornelius feels certain that doing so will bring back either Aslan or the High King Peter. Doctor Cornelius says that if High King Peter is brought back, he will likely arrive at one of three ‘Ancient Places’: Aslan's How, Lantern Waste or Cair Paravel. It is decided that Pettertwig the squirrel would go to Lantern Waste and Trumpkin the dwarf would go to Cair Paravel. Caspian is to blow Queen Susan's horn at sunrise.
And indeed, Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter are summoned back into Narnia at the ruins of Cair Paravel. Help arrives. Dr Cornelius is right. Places are important.
Where we are affects what we see. A point-of-view is a view from a particular point. And some viewpoints are better than others. They offer a wider perspective. Or a closer look.
Until fairly recently I had never watched a ballet. But due to my son’s love of ballet, I have seen several incredible performances in Leeds and London. And amazingly you can get tickets for The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden for as little as £5. We splashed out on the £9 tickets! But you can pay as much as £225 for a seat. Why? Because you get a much better view. Places matter.
This idea might explain Jesus of Nazareth’s views on his rich neighbours. Whereas at The Royal Ballet the wealthy get the best perspective, Jesus argues, when it comes to ‘The Kingdom of God’, they are at a huge disadvantage:
‘Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’
And I don’t think Jesus says this because he believes wealth is implicitly wrong, but rather because too much wealth positions us in a restricted viewpoint. A place further away from ‘the kingdom’. And for Jesus, ‘the kingdom of God is within’.
‘The kingdom’ is the place where we are most at home. The place where we are at peace. The place where love and creativity abound. And in my experience, it is a place I often go when my outer kingdoms crumble and fall. It’s a place I tend to visit when I seek refuge. Sadly, it’s often a last resort, when things go wrong. But fortunately, I am very good at failing and falling. So I go there quite often!
Of course, the rich can go there too. But Jesus thinks it’s much harder for them. Indeed, it must be incredibly difficult to surrender all that external reward and validation, and all the effort it takes to earn it, for a kingdom that is so audaciously egalitarian, free and hidden. Yes, the riches ‘within’ are plentiful, but they aren’t guaranteed to bring us status, popularity and power in the outer world. In fact, this inner treasure might quench the thirst which drives our ambition for outer achievements.
It’s the same for religiosity. A particular vice of mine.
Jesus doesn’t hold back:
"Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
Perhaps even more so than money, the hardest thing to let go of is our tribal codes (religious or not). The tax collectors and the prostitutes were outcasts. Jesus isn’t romanticising their position or poverty. He’s not saying these people are right, in the same way he’s not saying the rich and religious are wrong. He seems to be saying that the outcasts are at an advantage. They are nearer ‘the kingdom’ because they have less trappings. Less to lose. They already don’t belong. Whereas, the religious are playing by all sorts of tribal rules and regulations that have absolutely nothing to do with ‘the kingdom of God.’ We risk being rejected and abandoned by our families and friends if we don’t believe the right things and use the right words. Perhaps this is why Jesus tells people not to go to the temple to pray. In fact, he points out that those who do, are getting a different kind of reward. A social validation. A status boost. This is his advice:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”
Whether you pray or not, I think the message is potentially consoling. When things are falling apart in our work or relationships; when we feel out-of-place; and we don’t belong anywhere… perhaps we are closer to a place where we can truly feel at home. A place of peace. A place of love. A place of compassion. A spacious, gracious Kingdom Within.