#also yes i get it Aslan is god and jesus at the same time

[bookbinderbitch]

I just finished The Horse and his Boy, and I have to say that the thing that bothered me most was the fact that when Aslan went:  

 "Have a care, Rabadash," said Aslan quietly. "The doom is nearer now: it is at the door: it has lifted the latch." 

Susan didn’t burst trough the door to smack this man in the face. 

[johnhardinsawyer]

Here I Am, Lord

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

10 / 1 / 23 – World Communion Sunday

Exodus 3:1-15[1]

“Here I Am, Lord”

(Living Discipleship # 4 – Serving in and Beyond the Congregation)

[Singing] Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.[2]

Believe it or not, the church has been singing this wonderful hymn for forty years, or so.  The refrain is based on a text from Isaiah, in which the young prophet hears a call from God and says, basically, “Here am I; send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

In today’s scripture reading, Moses also says, “Here I am” to God, (Exodus 3:4) but he doesn’t exactly follow it up with the words, “Send me.”  If Moses were to sing the familiar refrain, I wouldn’t be surprised if it might go something like this. . .  

Here I am, Lord.  But I’m not your guy, Lord. I have heard you calling from that burning bush over there. I won’t go, Lord.  You ‘say’ you’ll lead me.   I don’t think I have what it takes to hold your people in my heart.

Yes, Moses might not be much of a songwriter and might need to work on putting the right emphasis on the right syllables, but I think you get the idea.  Moses is skeptical of his own ability when it comes to actually doing what God asks him to do.  

This Fall, as we make our way through some of the major stories in the Hebrew Bible, we have heard the story of how God breathed life into all living things, and how God surprised Abraham and Sarah with joy in their old age, and how God wrestled with Jacob but Jacob did not let go.  Based on these stories, alone, it would seem that God has taken not just an interest in humanity and the way the world works, but that God has made the decision to be active in the life of the world.  

In today’s reading, though, God asks human beings – specifically a human being named Moses – to partner with God and do something that God needs to be done.  

There are several things going on in the life of the world at the time of today’s story.  God’s people, the children of Israel (descendants of Jacob, who wrestled with God in last week’s scripture reading) are in captivity in Egypt.  They have been enslaved by the Egyptians and forced to do hard labor, building Egyptian cities.  Back in those days, the Egyptians were not known for doing small building projects.  The work is hard – backbreaking, and soul-crushing, and life-ending.  God’s people have been crying out to God for relief – for justice and freedom – and God has heard their cries.  At the same time, Moses, an Israelite child, who is rescued from the Nile River and raised in the house of the daughter of the king of Egypt, has been run out of Egypt and into the wilderness.  He is guilty of killing an Egyptian overseer.  And, as he makes his way in the wilderness, he meets some of the local people, gets married, and starts to work as a shepherd.  It’s a far cry from his childhood – being raised in the household of Pharaoh’s daughter – but at least Moses is free and relatively safe.  

Relatively safe, that is, until God shows up.  Now, I know that many of us usually think of God as being a “safe” place – a rock and refuge and shelter and protector – and yes, as the scriptures tell us, God is all of these things.  But is God safe?  In the famous children’s story and Christian allegory, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis introduces a character named Aslan.  Aslan is Lewis’ powerful representation for Jesus.  And, when one character – Susan – hears that Aslan is a lion, she asks, “Is he – quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”  “Safe?” says another character.  “Who said anything about safe?  ‘Course he isn’t safe.  But he’s good.  He’s the King, I tell you.”[3]  

Moses is just out there watching sheep, right next to Mount Horeb – also known as Mount Sinai, the so-called “mountain of God.” (Exodus 3:1)  It’s in the wilderness.  The text actually describes the place as “beyond or ‘behind’[4] the wilderness” – way out there.  The wilderness is not a safe place at all, but in the Bible – and in our own lives – God often does God’s best life-changing work with people who are in the wilderness.  

And, out in the wilderness, God changes the direction of Moses’ life – asking him to do something that won’t be safe at all.  As Eugene Peterson translates, God says:  

The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians.  It’s time for you to go back:  I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.[5]

“I think you’ve got the wrong guy,” Moses says.  “God, what makes you think that I could ever do this?”[6]  God’s answer is one of the most important pieces of good news that Moses, or you, or I will ever hear.  God says:  “I will be with you.” (3:12). In other words, God says, “If you’re wondering how I know this will work, Moses, it’s because I’m going to be with you – doing the heavy lifting.”  

I don’t know if you have ever been asked to leave your father-in-law’s herd of sheep and go to a global superpower and talk to the all-powerful ruler of said superpower and demand that a major part of the slave-labor-workforce be set free – thereby wrecking the economy of said superpower and causing all kinds of upheaval.  I know I’ve never been asked to do such a thing.  And I can’t imagine Moses’ discomfort at being asked to do such a thing.  

But there is this promise to Moses – and to us:  “I will be with you.”  You are not alone.  You will not be alone.

We see this promise throughout the stories of scripture – how God is with God’s people even when God’s people decide to not be with God.  We see this promise in the flesh when Jesus – also known as “God-with-us” – arrives, and loves, and teaches, and heals, and feeds, and dies, and rises again.  We see this promise filling us with the very breath of God when the Holy Spirit gives life to the church and all who seek to follow Jesus.  “I will be with you,” God says, “when the going gets rough.  I will be with you when you are out in the wilderness of life.  I will be with you when you are doing the hardest thing you have ever done.  I will be with you when you are way outside your comfort zone.  I will be with you when the dark seems darkest.  I will be with you even if you turn away from me.” 

Somehow, Moses is still skeptical.  He knows that serving God will be hard.  And yet he knows that God is right.  There are people who are oppressed that need freeing.  There are people who are hungry and thirsty who need to be filled.  There are people who have no shelter who need a safe place to call home.  Moses knows that serving God will be hard.  It will be inconvenient.  It will ask more of him than he would have readily given, willingly.  In the end – fast-forward forty years or so – and Moses will have given the rest of his life over to doing this hard thing for God.  And yet, he knows that it is the right thing to do. 

I wonder if there was a time when God asked something of you that you weren’t too sure about.  I imagine that I imagine that when God asked you, it was in a far more subtle way than through a burning bush.  Maybe God called you to your current profession and gave you the gifts and skills to offer your best to the world.  Maybe God called you to be a parent, knowing that it can be the most infuriatingly rewarding task imaginable.  Maybe God called you to serve as an Elder, or Deacon, or teacher, or youth group counselor, or Sunday morning greeter, or friend and companion to a family of refugees, or as part of a team within the church.  Maybe God called you to offer your gifts and skills in other ways – bringing people together, being hospitable, making food, calling your friends, welcoming a stranger, or something else.  And you knew it would be more than you thought you could do or give – more time and energy than you thought you had – but you knew that it was right.  It didn’t always feel fully in your comfort zone, but it did feel good.  

Friends, the ways that God calls us to serve might look daunting – might look like more than we can handle – but it is not soul-crushing and life-ending labor.  Instead, it is soul-filling and life-giving – because God is with us.  It might look daunting, and sometimes it is.  But it might also be so meaningful – and even, fun. 

On this World Communion Sunday, we gather with the church around the world to celebrate the Lord’s Supper and remember that God is with us.  In this meal, we experience the soul-filling and life-giving presence of Jesus Christ, who tells us “Here I am, right here with you” and gives himself away as a gift to all people – strengthening us to serve in and beyond the church.  

God has chosen to be active in the life of the world and – through the Holy Spirit – God has chosen to be active in the life of the world through us.  How will you say “Yes” to God?  How will God use your “Yes” to change the life of another person, or people – to change the life of the world?    

God is calling to each of us – to you and to me.  May we respond by saying, without hesitation or reservation, “Here I am, Lord.”  And may we trust that God – without hesitation or reservation – responds, “Here I am, with you.”  

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  

--------

[1] Narrative Lectionary 204.

[2] Daniel L. Schutte, “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky” from Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013) # 69.

[3] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/344456-aslan-is-a-lion--the-lion-the-great-lion-ooh.

[4] F. Brown, S. Driver, and C. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997) 29-30.

[5] Eugene Peterson, The Message: Numbered Edition (Colorado Springs: NAV Press, 2002) 85. Exodus 3:9-10.

[6] Exodus 3:11 – Paraphrased, JHS.

[lord-of-christmas-lights]

I swear I have normal Narnia headcanons. However, none of them are featured in this post.

So! If you've been following my series of posts about my Inhuman Narnia AU and the couple of oneshots I posted on ao3 under ASkyOfKai, you've probably noticed that in this little universe I've created, Narnia is sort of...sentient. And I've just realized that I've only actually gone into depth about this on Discord with my friends who are probably very tired of hearing about it. So I'm making y'all suffer through it instead. Welcome to Inhuman Narnia 101, please take your seats because this is going to take a while.

Warning for religious themes, theological discussion, and some dark fantasy/inhuman/body horror concepts that involve blood and physical changes.

BEFORE I SAY ANYTHING: Please keep in mind that an AU is meant to be an alternate universe that may not follow canon information. If anything in this post contradicts canon on the creation of Narnia (it undoubtedly will), pay it no mind, this is an AU. It doesn't have to follow canon.

First off, a little explanation of the Inhuman Narnia AU in general. Basically I came up with this AU after seeing some other people on tumblr post about the Pevensies being not quite human after their time in Narnia. Just eerie, cryptid, a bit of dark fantasy kinda stuff. And I was like, "I'm in love, sign me up, I have ideas." I did not sit down and develop this all at once. The worldbuilding I've done for it has come slowly over the past few weeks through posts, fanfics, and discord rambles. The idea of Narnia being a sentient earth deity of sorts is a recent one and there is already so much to it. (Also I call her Narnia because it's convenient, she has other names but I haven't bothered to like, actually make any up so Narnia is what she's called.)

The most important thing to note starting off is that Narnia is not supposed to be a replacement for Aslan, nor is she necessarily "the hero to his villain". Aslan and I have an interesting relationship, as he is literally God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit/etc and I no longer really identify as Christian. While there are times that Aslan definitely takes a more antagonistic route in my writings, I don't actually see him as a bad guy, nor as a good guy. As God, he literally removed from our concepts of good and evil (in my opinion). The same goes for Narnia being an earth deity. I am a Christian-raised pagan, and I definitely subscribe to the idea that gods and deities are not subject to humanity and our rules. Narnia is not a good goddess, she is not a bad goddess, she simply is a goddess. Plain and simple. The dichotomy that exists between Narnia and Aslan in my writing is generally that of opposing deities, but this isn't a hard and fast rule. There were and still are times when they're friends, working towards the same goals. There are times when Narnia's power is stronger than Aslan's and times when Aslan's power is stronger than hers. There is no simple 1:1 comparison between them.

So, getting into motivations and why Narnia as a deity even exists. Essentially, I asked the question, "How do the Pevensies become inhuman?" and voila earth deity Narnia was born. Now, the basic in-universe mythology I've worked out is that Narnia and Aslan are two deities from separate dimensions that came together to create a new world, the world of Narnia. Aslan is the one who oversees things, he's the one who comes up with the ideas, and he's a little less attached to the world as a whole because he's a Creator, not an earth deity. Narnia is, however, and she literally makes up the world, she sort of runs the entire thing on a physical level, and she is much more attached to it. So she's always kinda taken on this role of making the things in her world the way she wants them. For the most part, she and Aslan designed everything together and they're both happy with it blah blah blah. Well, Aslan then decides to bring a few humans from this other world he's created to Narnia. And she affects them a bit (I've got headcanons about Digory and Polly that I haven't posted anywhere yet but I might soon), but it isn't until Aslan brings the Pevensies over that she really gets to experiment. See, there are other deities in the world that kinda rule over the various lands on a surface level (patron gods for Telmar, the Archenlands, etc, they just have less power than Narnia and Aslan) so she has a little less power over the people in those places, but the country of Narnia is both her land and her so when the Pevensies become the Kings and Queens and live there for 15 years, she's very connected to them. And it's through this connection that she starts to affect them. Honestly, I'm not sure if Narnia even knows what she's doing when she starts stripping away their humanity. I think it's that she can feel they're not from her world and she doesn't like that. She wants them to be a part of her, she wants them to belong in her world just the same as everyone else. (Side note—I know Telmar and some other lands in canon are based on people finding portals and coming through and I'd like to say that she does affect them a bit, takes away a bit of their humanity, but it's not to the same extent as the Kings and Queens of her lands).

"So Kai," you might say, "You keep empathizing that she is literally the land and the land is her. What the hell do you mean by that?" Well, essentially, she is...the...land. Basically if you've read Percy Jackson Heroes of Olympus, there's this idea that Gaia and Tartarus are both physically their domains and able to take on a smaller, human shaped physical form because they're gods and not restricted by human ideas of only having one body. Narnia is the same. Her physical form is both the entire world and whatever smaller shape she might appear in to people. However, we have to acknowledge that their world is differently structurally from ours. There's magic, there's talking animals, and in my Inhuman AU, there is a literal Heart of Narnia at the center. Like a physical, beating, human-shaped heart. Except it's a lot bigger than a regular human heart. Also it's golden. And many many many miles underground. So anyways this is where she's centered. It's basically where her soul is. Probably under Cair Paravel because I just came up with that idea and I love it. And radiating out from it are veins of magic and blood, and these stretch all across the world. Now here is where we get into blood magic and some of those fun terrifying concepts I've come up with.

Narnia has her own blood, of course, but also whenever one of her Kings or Queens bleeds in battle, she kinda pulls it down through the earth into her own heart and veins. It doesn't really do anything to her or them in particular, it's just a fun side effect of them having a patron pagan god. Yes this includes Caspian after he becomes King. Also Peter's blood turns golden because he's the High King, and then later Caspian's does too because I just really like imagery of Ben Barnes bleeding gold. (Side note—when Peter returns to England, his blood goes back to red, but it does remain a brighter red than blood generally is).

Diverting for half a second here. Now, in both my regular Narnia writings and my Inhuman AU, Lucy is very very connected to magic. In my regular Narnia fanfic, she studies with the druids, who are sort of like BBC Merlin's druids. They're just like, chill dudes who run around in camps doing magic and making prophecies and shit. However, in the Inhuman AU, they are a lot darker. One of my favorite ideas with the Inhuman druids and Lucy is that they are so connected to Narnia's magic and her Heart that their hands become stained with blood. Is it their blood, is it Narnia's blood, is it someone else's blood? Idk, don't ask questions. But yea, their hands are permanently stained reddish-brown to almost black. In my regular Narnia stuff, I still like the idea of Lucy's hands being stained and go with just earth magic, dirt stuff for the reason why. But yea no, in the Inhuman AU her hands are stained with blood because of blood magic.

So getting a bit more into how Narnia affects the Pevensies now because I love talking about this lol. She doesn't consciously chose how to change them, though she does call them her creations. Generally the way her magic affects them is by connecting them to to the land in some way and bringing out certain traits they have. So for Peter it's his eyes flickering between regular blue and the amber of a lion's, feathers appearing on his back that grow into wings, having a strength greater than that of a giant's. His blood is golden and on clear nights, the Aurora Borealis in the sky is reflected across his skin. For Susan, her skin glints like glass in the sun and she can briefly glimpse the future. Her wounds are sewn shut with golden rays of light, her eyes are cracked but clear, and she seems to glow faintly in the night, a bit of the sun's radiance shining through her. Edmund has a bit of a star's power lodged in his throat, and can manipulate words, uses them to influence people and their actions. His skin is frostbitten in places, a side effect of ruling the Woods where the White Witch once held so much power, and in some spots his bones shine under the ice that spreads across his skin. Lucy has the stained skin from her stronger connection to magic, and when she speaks words from the Old Language (the one Aslan and Narnia used to shape the world itself), her voice echoes and rasps. Her teeth are too sharp, her smile too wide, and when she disappears underwater, she can stay for hours without surfacing. I want to get into Eustace and Caspian now too but this post is already extremely long and I've still got a bit to cover, so we're just sticking with the Pevensies for now. So yea, Narnia doesn't pick what she does to the Pevensies, she just connects herself to them and through that connection, they change. The magic that she is made of, that Narnia the world operates on, that's what changes them. However, as I stated already, she does call them her creations and feels extremely responsible for them.

Wrapping back around up to the beginning, this is the biggest source of conflict between her and Aslan as of the canon timeline. I like to believe that the lamppost incident was an accident, that Aslan didn't actually mean to send them back at the end of LWW and it was pure coincidence, wrong place wrong time stuff. That being said, it did happen and Narnia really didn't like it happening. The Pevensies did return to their (mostly) human selves in this AU in England, so when they came back in Prince Caspian, she felt disconnected from them again. She reacted to this by digging into them even harder on a spiritual level and essentially speedran them back to being inhuman throughout the timeline of PC, which generally takes place over a few months in my mind. I don't remember how long it was in the book, it's been quite a while since I read them, but it's only like a week in the movie and like eff that, overthrowing a kingdom takes a bit longer in my opinion. Now there are a few divergences here. 1. They all stay at the end of PC and yea that's it, they go back to being Kings and Queens and it's like a second Golden Age but with Caspian there as well. 2. Susan and Peter stay, Lucy and Edmund go back and it's a repeat of the human/inhumanity cycle for them + Eustace in VOTDT and then they stay. 3. Everything happens exactly as it does in canon and it's a constant cycle of humanity/inhumanity with the character's various trips and finally ends at The Last Battle. I like all versions and I tend to leave things a little open to the reader on what exactly happens, or I would if I could actually finish some of my drafts and post them. As you can imagine, Narnia likes 1 the best and 3 the least. She really wants her Kings and Queens to stay and rule her lands and like be awesome and stuff. However, Aslan prefers 3 the best and 1 the least. So again, neither of them is really good nor evil, they just have differing opinions on how the world should be run and what the Pevensie's fates should be. I do tend to side with Narnia, I really like exploring these concepts of inhumanity, but I also really like the concept of a cycle. That's very common in mythology.

So anyways, that's a bit of an overview on earth deity Narnia and her role in my Inhuman AU. If you made it this far, congratulations, and I give you explicit permission to use any of my ideas in your own writing/fanart/whatever, as long as you tag either my tumblr or my ao3 (lord-of-christmas-lights and ASkyOfKai) because I need more Narnia+Inhumanity content in my life. Thanks for reading all this and I'll probably be back very soon with elaboration on Eustace and Caspian's inhumanity!

- Kai

[ravenlilyrose]

Susan Pevensie: An Unfinished Story

Something that bothers me quite a lot is the blatant misunderstanding of the character, journey, and situation of Susan Pevensie. That being said, I want to clear up a few points.

First of all, yes, she loses faith, she forgets. There are no two ways about it. She didn’t have another mission, she didn’t see a better way, and she certainly didn’t choose something better than her siblings. She forgot, and whether it was a conscious choice or not, she abandoned her faith.

Second, she was not discarded for being feminine. Biblical femininity is a beautiful thing, and there is no condemnation for wanting to look nice or even for being interested in those of the opposite sex. She is not being punished for discovering sexuality or for vanity, in fact, she is not being punished at all.

The reason that Susan Pevensie does not get to Aslan’s Country at the end of “The Final Battle,” is because her story, her journey one might say, is not yet over.

C.S. Lewis has specifically acknowledged this fact in a letter he wrote to a child that Susan’s story was not over, but that it would be a more ‘adult’ story than he wanted to write. (I currently can’t find the specific text/a link to the letter, but I’ll add it when I find it.)

I have always taken this to mean that the issues of faith and related topics that must be wrestled with to do justice to Susan’s story are more than the audience he wanted to write to could handle, and outside of what he believed himself to be capable of.

Personally, the different ways that Susan’s story could go fascinate me, and it is something that I will probably explore at some point. (If I ever end up doing that, I’ll stick a link here, too)

The way I like to think of it, is by placing the Pevensies against the apostles. The apostle Peter, specifically, fits quite well with both Edmund and Susan Pevensie.

For Edmund, it is fairly clear. He betrays Jesus/Aslan, but comes out of the trial with a very strong faith that continues with him throughout the rest of his life. That applies very easily to both the apostle Peter and to Edmund Pevensie.

For Susan, one must look a little more carefully. Peter denies knowing Jesus. He does this three times in the same night, but when the rooster crows, sees where he has gone wrong and weeps for his betrayal. In Susan’s case, one must speculate beyond what we see written of in Lewis’ books.

With “The Last Battle,” we leave Susan in the midst of what is her own metaphorical night, during which she denies knowing Aslan or Narnia. While it is highly unlikely that it will be a rooster’s call which reminds her of Aslan, we can hope and speculate that she will eventually come back to knowing Him.

Still, whether or not she remembers in this life, there is still hope for her. While “The Chronicles of Narnia” is not directly allegorical, Aslan is meant to be the form which the Son of God takes in Narnia, and therefore we can apply biblical teachings to it.

Many times the Bible tells us that we cannot lose our salvation, perhaps most notably in 2 Timothy 2:13 which tells us “if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (ESV) 

Therefore, if Susan ever had faith, ever believed at all, she will find herself in Aslan’s country after the end of her earthly time.

There are many ways that Susan could go, many decisions she will make, but the most important thing is this: her story is not yet over.

So take these main points: Susan Pevensie loses faith, but that does not mean she cannot regain it; she was not discarded or punished for femininity or sexuality, nor was her way of life a better one; and again, her story is not over.

There are many different ways that faith is expressed, many different ways it is felt. Peter’s faith is different from Lucy’s, which is different from Edmund’s, which is different from Susan’s. Just because it is different does not mean it is not there or won’t ever be.

And don’t be discouraged. I have known many people whose ‘faith journey’ (please excuse my horrible attempts at naming things) resembled Susan’s, and are now strong in their faith. I have also known Peters and Edmunds and Lucys, and none is any less than any other.

God loves you, and Aslan loves Susan.

[nitewrighter]

Reidan prompt spending the holidays and New Year's with the Shimada-Zieglers! :D

I think if I do New Year’s, it’ll probably be a different fic.

Consider this story a continuation from Care Package.

----

4:00. Aedan stared at the digital numbers on his comm’s screen before he took a deep breath and rapped his knuckles on the apartment door in front of him. He rolled back and forth on his heels with nervousness, rolling his fingers on the small glass-covered tray in his hands.

You should have come later, that critical voice in his head spoke up, Four on the dot is weird. It’s weird and you know it. 

A few seconds passed and Aedan stopped in his rocking.

It’s not to late to turn around and give it another few minutes, he thought, Or retreat. Like a coward. Or--

The door opened and Aedan found himself face to face with Angela Ziegler, or mostly face to face, as he was a few inches taller than her. There was a ripple of “oh god why are you here” across Mercy’s face and Aedan saw a shake of hesitation in her shoulder, as if she was repressing the instinct to slam the door right in his face. He knew he looked too much like his mother, (which of course was to be expected because, well, clone) and no one reminded him more sharply of that than Mercy. She didn’t even need to say anything to do so. She did her best to assume a pleasant, neutral expression.

“A-Aedan,” she started, straightening up a bit where she stood.

“You came!” Rei leaned into the doorway just behind her with a wide grin. She was still wearing the foil crown from the Christmas popper. Mercy dropped her arm from the doorframe and Rei grabbed his shoulder and practically dragged him in. Aedan looked around the apartment. Genji was busying himself in the kitchen, Mercy was laying out the table, and Jaime and Hanzo were in the living room, apparently trying to hook up a yule log on the living room’s holo-screen and get music playing on the apartment’s speakers. Rei looked at the tray in Aedan’s hands, seeing the pink through the glass “And you brought... Jello? Mochi?”

“Jochi?” Jaime piped up from the living room.

“Turkish delight,” said Aedan, holding up the tray, “Didn’t want to come empty handed and this was what I could whip up from the watchpoint kitchens--I’m still amazed you had rosewater.”

“Did I have to cook something?” asked Jaime.

“No,” said Hanzo.

“Oh phew,” said Jaime.

“But it--uh--it needs to finish setting in the fridge so...” Aedan trailed off weakly, “I thought...”

“By all means,” said Mercy, gesturing at the kitchen.

“I brought my own dusting sugar!” Aedan said, attempting to sound as helpful as possible as he briskly walked to the fridge and stuck the tray into it.

“Wait-wait-wait--Turkish delight’s real? I thought they just made it up for that Lion Jesus movie,” Aedan heard a familiar folksy voice and his head swiveled to see McCree leaning against the kitchen counter, beer in hand, “Howdy,” McCree gave a slight wave with his beer. 

“Y-yes, it’s real,” said Aedan.

“It was a book, McCree,” said Genji, loudly and rapidly chopping a leek, “Well, it was real, but it was also in a book--the candy was real, not the book--” Genji mindlessly gestured with his large knife as he spoke, and Aedan shrank a bit against the fridge, trying his best not to be intimidated by the scar-faced ninja nonchalantly waving a large knife around.

“You ain’t plannin’ on stealin’ Rei away and causing an eternal winter, are ya?” said McCree, grinning at Aedan.

“Uncle--” Rei said with an eye-roll. 

 “’cause we ain’t got Lion Jesus,” said McCree.

Aedan paled and stammered but Mercy spoke up before he could say anything.

“Aslan,” said Mercy, setting the table.

“Gesundheit,” said McCree.

“No, Aslan is the Lion Je--” Mercy huffed before looking at Aedan, “Can we get you anything? Water? Soda? Mulled Wine?”

“...mulled what?” was all that Aedan managed but McCree was already setting his beer down and ladling him a glass of ruby red mulled wine with cloves and an orange slice floating in it.

“Ballsy,” said McCree, “I like it.”

“What?” said Aedan before the glass was stuck in his hand. “oh--yes--well...”

“I’m in!” said Rei, ladling her own glass and clinking hers against his, “We try to get it as close to the Christmas Markets’ in Zurich as possible!” she paused, “Wait, are you old enough to drink?”

“Yes, physically,” said Aedan, swishing the mulled wine in his own glass.

“Physically?” Mercy and Genji spoke up at the same time.

“Well... amnio-tank, you know,” said Aedan before sipping his own wine, “Brainwashing, artificial aging..” he shrugged vaguely before quickly adding, “I could drink with Talon!” he then paled at his own mention of Talon before glancing off and clearing his throat.

Rei elbowed McCree.

“What?” said McCree quietly, and Rei just jerked her head at Aedan, and McCree went “Oh” and cleared his throat, “Look--don’t worry about that stuff. This whole family’s practically redemption stories--Ain’t that right, darlin’?” he called over to the living room.

“Hmm,” was Hanzo’s only response.

“I’m here ‘cause I stole a backpack!” Jaime suggested helpfully from the couch, lifting up his own glass of mulled wine.

“You’re here because you’re part of the family,” said Hanzo, flatly.

“Which was instigated by stealing a backpack,” said Jaime.

“See?” said McCree, both he and Rei smiling at Aedan.

“...right,” said Aedan, rolling his own fingers on his mulled wine.

The night, as far as Aedan was concerned, went pretty well. To be fair, Aedan had been thinking almost purely in worst-case-scenarios, pretty much all of them seeing Christmas day ending with himself getting kicked off the Watchpoint, possibly by being thrown from Gibraltar’s cliffs, but Rei’s family felt.... normal. Well, about as normal as a family composed of ninjas, a cowboy, and the world’s greatest (and in Aedan’s opinion most intimidating) doctor could be. Aedan, was a bit paranoid about consuming wine his first time over at the Shimada-Zieglers, but from what he could taste, it wasn’t terribly strong, only enough to take the edge off, and warm and filling enough for him to only sip a bit at a time.

Dinner that night was a delicious coq au vin. As Rei predicted, Jesse brought in far too many sides (roasted parsley potatoes, broccoli rabe, any of which were shoveled onto Aedan’s plate the second any open space appeared.) Rei’s parents and uncles were civil and pleasant throughout the whole thing. They had all made the decision to enjoy their Christmas regardless of what effect his presence might have, Aedan supposed. Mercy wasn’t avoiding looking at him or talking to him, but there was a certain sparseness in their communications that both considered fortunate.  Aedan didn’t consider himself a particular slouch at cooking, but something about the fact that he was eating a meal with others, that he wasn’t just cooking something for himself made him feel the least alone he had felt since he came to the watchpoint.

Jaime took up a surprising amount of the conversation, keeping most of the table occupied with stories of the southwest and more than a few stories Ashe and Grandma Billie apparently had about McCree (much to McCree’s chagrin.) Rei herself was running heroic loads of interference, switching the subject at dinner whenever things got uncomfortable, getting people seconds and refills and finally clearing the table, and doing the dishes, which Aedan volunteered for as well. Aedan glanced over to the living room, where Mercy, Genji, Hanzo, and McCree were quietly chatting.

“How are you holding up?” said Rei, drying dishes after he rinsed them.

“I’m holding up,” said Aedan.

“I’m sorry,” said Rei, “I know this is overwhelming...”

“It’s fine,” said Aedan, “I guess I’m used to Christmases just being... me and Mum. And Professor de Kuiper, sometimes.”

“Who?” said Rei.

“Siebren de Kuiper?” said Aedan.

“Sigma!?” Rei repeated the name with some horror in her voice but then glanced over at her parents, who apparently hadn’t heard her over Aedan running the sink. She dropped her voice slightly, “The scary gravity god guy?”

“He’d bring Stroopwafels...” Aedan said, a small hint of wistful reminiscence in his voice.

“Stroopwafels. The guy who just floated right out of Akira brought stroopwafels for Christmas,” said Rei, incredulously.

 “I think Mum was one of the only people in Talon who wasn’t afraid of him,” said Aedan, quietly.

Rei blinked at this. “...It’s weird... I never thought people in Talon got scared.”

Aedan snorted. “How can you say that when you know me?” he said, smiling at her.

“Well that’s why you defected, y’know,” said Rei, grinning, “You got spooked.”

“Right, and you had nothing to do with it,” said Aedan, holding a dish out to her. 

Rei’s dark gray eyes flicked down to the dish, and then up to him. That stupid foil christmas popper crown still lopsided on her head, gold on sable-black hair. He could tell that question was on the back of her throat, still warm and cinnamon-y from the mulled wine.

Did you defect for me?

Do you like her? he remembered McCree veiled behind the photon barrier of his cell back when he was being interrogated after his defection.

‘Like’ had nothing to do with it, he remembered his own words but it was little flickering moments like this that made him wonder how much truth there was to that statement. The fact that he could not, in good conscience, let Talon do what they were going to do to her was the immediate, knee-jerk reason for his defection, but he would be lying if there wasn’t the image of a girl in a yellow dress in the back of his mind when he was wheeling that stretcher through the halls of Urdr labs---

“Aedan?” Rei’s voice snapped him back to the present.

“What?” Aedan said on reflex.

“Uh, the dish?” said Rei.

Aedan glanced down to see his own hand still holding onto the dish while Rei was gently trying to take it from his grip. He released it and Rei took the dish and dried it.

“You kids keeping it PG in here?” said Jaime, strolling into the kitchen and refilling his own glass with mulled wine.

“You here because Uncle told you to wipe down the counter?” said Rei, smiling at him.

“Maybe,” said Jaime, picking up a towel and wiping down the counter, “Or maybe I want dibs on the Jesus Lion candy.”

“Aslan,” said Rei.

“Turkish delight,” said Aedan.

“Yeah the pink shit,” said Jaime.

 Rei elbowed him.

 “Which I’m sure is delicious,” said Jaime.

“Be nice,” said Rei, folding her arms, “I was just telling him things were going to get less weird.”

“Things don’t get less weird, they just get eclipsed by newer, shinier, weirdness,” said Jaime with a shrug, “Case in point: You’re here.”

“Which just goes to show that he belongs here,” said Rei, putting her hands on her hips, she caught herself and reddened, “I mean--not like--here, here--I mean like...Overwatch here. Here here is... my apartment which,” she laughed a bit nervously, “Which would be weird.”

“Nice save, cuz,” said Jaime, continuing to wipe down the counter.

Aedan huffed a bit with a smile.

“We’re glad to have you here, is what I’m saying,” said Rei, putting away the last of the dishes with a sharp sidelong glance at Jaime.

“Thank you,” said Aedan, drying off his own hands.

“Well we’re glad you’re here,” said Jaime with a grin, “But if you look close at Auntie Angela I think I can see her turning gray from--”

Rei elbowed Jaime again and Jaime grunted in response. “Yep,” he said with a slight wheeze, “Happy you’re here.”

“Hey,” Rei refilled both her and Aedan’s glasses and Jaime picked up his own, “To new friends,” she said, holding up her glass.

“To eclipsing weirdness,” said Aedan, bringing his glass up to meet hers.

“Oh I like you,” said Jaime, as all three of their glasses clinked together.

[meanwhileinthebroomcloset]

Mhm...  This post was meant to be much shorter, honestly. Not to mention it got super personal, which was not my intention. It actually made me a bit teary-eyed and I’m usually an emotional constipated dumbass. 

Am I ready for the potential backlash this is going to cause? Eh, probably not. Am I going to engage in the discourse this can cause? Ah, you wished. I have more to waste my energy on. I didn’t write this post to argument with anyone, anyway. 

Gonna risk it, still.

-----------------------------------------

Isn’t it kind of ironic that it was witchcraft that made me fully return to Catholicism?

I mean, I kind of never left, hence the ‘’fully’’ in that sentence. But now I really know who I am. Although I don’t think Catholicism is the most accurate label (Christo-pagan, perhaps?) it’s the one I grew up with, and the one that comes more naturally to me.

Studying the beginning of it all, the commentaries of Pagans and Jewish writers at the time are just so fascinating and honestly beautiful.

Then everybody started chasing and killing each order, and it sure wasn’t fascinating anymore.... ‘’Stop being murderous revenge-driven assholes’’ I angrily mutter into my book, while frying my brains for High Middle Ages exams.

And then it split into Catholicism and Arianism (not that Arianism! The no-holy-trinity-on-my-watch one), and that was a totally different can of worms. Then Rome got pissy and the Orthodox Church officially became a thing that existed.

Man, why is religion so messy?

Faith is such a strange thing. So much power, so much potential for good and evil and everything in between. I started losing mine some years ago. 

Contrary to some horror stories you may hear, especially from people who are now no longer Christian, I was raised in a pretty open environment.

‘’Don’t be mean, have faith, give second chances... Here are the commandments. They’re perfectly acceptable, see?’’

‘’Yes, there are different religions, but you should always respect them and the people that believe in them. Remember, Jesus was Jewish. Here’s some historical context... ‘’

‘’What the hell kid, nobody here is going to hell. Also, you’re five, there are no children in hell. No, the cops also won’t... Lord give me patience... Are you sorry? Did you apologize? Are you going to try to not repeat it? Great! Then it’s all fine and dandy!’’

‘‘Man, we are definitely all going to hell... At least since we’re all gonna be there, we could form a basketball team. The devil can be the referee. He will be an awful one, but hey, we’re in hell’‘

‘’I know the bible says the earth was created in seven days, but when that story was written, people didn’t know dinosaurs were a thing. Science is cool, and we are not in the middle ages. ‘’

‘’Blind faith is dangerous, kid.’’

‘’Thinking thoughts and acting upon them are two very different things.’’

‘’Yes, the second mom in that Solomon story was willing to see another kid die for the sake of an argument... sometimes people are that bad.’’

‘’God is perfect. People aren’t. That’s the world we live in and it’s okay.’’

‘’There are people who do terrible things in name of religion or say they’re doing it because the bible says so. Don’t believe them. There’s no excuse for murder and abuse.’’

‘’Yeah, Portugal is very enthusiastic when it comes to Catholicism... ’’

Pretty good summary of religion in my childhood.

Still, I found my faith waning. I didn’t really know why and I’m still a bit iffy talking about that.

‘’What did witchcraft do, then?’’

 Well for once, it reinforced my ideas on how faith worked, and how strangely powerful it can be. Being skeptical is healthy but completely closing yourself off because something isn’t completely clear is too radical and you're just doing the equivalent of closing your eyes to the less brighter lights.

My god, I can hear the hardcore atheists coming...

Can I remind you there are more things in life that will not provide the proof you want, but that won’t mean they aren’t there? Relationships. Relationships are too complicated to have straight answers, a lot of the times. People hide their feelings, they fake them, express them and react to them differently. There are so many things we don’t understand or know about yet, like space and organisms that live on this Earth.

Sometimes what you need is a different approach to see they exist! It’s one of the things I learned with witchcraft.

There was also the religion itself. As I worked on my magic, I started seeing magic around me again. Not just with gods I had never considered and the one I was leaving behind, but with the faith I had always known.

The affection when someone says ‘’Our Lady’’ when talking about the Virgin Mary, my family calling upon Saint Barbara when thunder comes, children screeching excitedly because the Compasso has arrived to give us the news that Jesus has come to life again in Easter, the marble cemeteries, the comforting prayers, the masses I couldn’t ear because the local church’s echo is terrible, those boring long-ass weddings (oh my god, how many blessings do two people need?!), the loving dedication I see in every saint carved, my church's priest’s good humor... I never owned a rosary, but I always like the ones my aunts and grandparents keep.

I found Christian and Catholic witches on this site and I finally got to my conclusion. It’s really there. I just needed a different approach to it!

These things made me believe again, but also in new things.

‘‘But you can’t do that! You can’t combine magic and christianity’‘ 

Oh, watch me. And also watch the centuries of cunning women and witches in European history and those still alive today. The women that make ‘’mezinhas’’ and other types of favors in Portugal sure as hell are doing witchcraft, but you can bet your ass they don’t think they’re any less Catholic than anyone else. They don’t care about your opinions and I will hopefully do the same.

Relationships with deities are personal, and my relationship with God, Jesus and all of them is no different in that regard. I am a witch, I am human, I am catholic. I’m a follower, not a fucking mindless sheep.

You know what? I always compared God to Aslan. The lion wasn’t always there for Narnia, he wanted his people to solve their problems on their own. Get their independence, as a good parent does. They both don’t come up all mighty, that’s a posture reserved for evil and people who need a good slap in the face. They come to your level. God may come through one of the less eldritch abomination looking angels, though...

‘‘Well, if you have god, you shouldn’t need anything more. He's everthing. Why are you also a witch?’‘

Excuse me, do I look like a goddamned saint to you?! What part of human did you not understand?

And before you bitterly start quoting the Old Testament, let me remind you that it’s Old for a reason. Christ came to this earth to give us new rules since he technically saved us and things became different. That’s why Jewish people follow the Old Testament, for them, the messiah hasn’t arrived yet. Not to mention that to them that testament is not Old, it’s just the Torah.

You can keep quoting the bible to me all you want. But in my short twenty years of life, I was thankfully able to learn a few things. One of them is that the world isn’t black and white. Yes, I know this sounds obvious but there are some really dumb people out there. Also, this is the hellscape that we call tumblr.

Anyway, as I have mentioned several times before, I’m a never-ending knowledge seeker I found the world beneath my feet is not pure myth and I want to explore it. Look at me go.

I keep a critical mind with everything. Faith and religion are not an exception. I’m not overly skeptic about faith itself, but I am of its writings, interpretations, translations and etc... I study history, it’s a skill you naturally develop.

And there’s quite a few plot-holes, characterization differences and much more. It was written by humans that couldn’t do a cohesive collaboration even if their lives depended on it. Godphones sometimes don’t get a good reception. There’s a ton of cultural context to unpack. I hear people saying all the time that taking the bible’s words literally is one of the most stupid things you can do.

And when I say people, I mean priests, clergy, theology students, etc... I didn’t hear this from my drug dealer in the street corner..

...... I don’t have a drug dealer.....

Anyway...

There are many problems with the catholic church. There are many problems with a ton of catholic and christians out there. I will never deny that. Shit needs to get fixed and maybe even chucked into the trash.

But I still believe in God, I still believe in the saints but I also still believe there are more gods and spirits out there. And those things are separate.

I have no interest in converting you. I’m just yelling into the void.

If you are one of those that no longer is a christian, or catholic because some dipshits banged self-hate onto your head, I’m really sorry. I hope you heal well and get the help you need in your new faith or lack of it. Banging the ten commandments back onto their heads repetiedly and tell them to actually read the damn book is optional, though.

In the end, if you are (or are trying) to be good, you deserve respect and freedom to worship whoever or whatever you want. You don’t need to be perfect, you can just strive to be the best you can be in your situation.

--------------------------------------------

And now back to our schedueled programing.

[thenameofaslan]

Hey, The Name of Aslan followers! 

Currently we stand at 7 members, and to keep things unique, instead of using existing character names, we will be going by Narnia-inspired names we created ourselves! Our names are Veriele, Ailora, Gianah, Astriella, Haaven, Lailenah, and Elledia. Allow us to introduce ourselves! Below we will be sharing some facts about ourselves & our interest in Narnia. 

Hello! I’m Veriele!

Favourite book:

My favourite book tends to change a lot. Of course The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a classic, and in and of itself it’s possibly the most magical story of the 7. However, I also love The Magician’s Nephew for the beautiful creation of Narnia it shows us. Then The Horse and His Boy really stands out from the other books, and I love the characters and their growth so much. But I think when it comes down to it, The Last Battle holds the most special place in my heart. The ending chapters are so full of life and beauty. The parade of returning characters in Aslan’s Country is stunning and hits my nostalgic heart hard. And those final lines just fill my heart with joy! It’s a hard choice, as the entire series is absolutely lovely, but I do think The Last Battle stands out to me most of all.

Favourite Aslan quote:

I love a lot of Aslan’s lines, but I think my top 3 are “Courage, dear heart,” “Do not dare not to dare,” and “Now you are a lioness.”

Favourite Bible verse:

In the entire Bible it’s hard to choose just one, but Revelation 21:5a fills me with a special kind of joy. “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’”

Songs that remind me of Narnia:

A lot of songs remind me of Narnia, but to name a few: Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World, North by Sleeping At Last, and Long Live by Taylor Swift.

What kind of content or art I make/enjoy:

I make edits, analytical posts, and I write the occasional fic!

Hi everyone, I’m Ailora!

Favorite book:

For the Christian themes, my favorite will always be The Last Battle. The ending few chapters make me cry. I also love the atmosphere of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, especially the ending.

Favorite Aslan scene:

It’s so hard to choose just one. I guess I’d have to say the scene where Aslan appears and walks beside Cor on the mountain pass in HAHB. I love Aslan’s gentleness with Cor, but also the sense of wonder when he starts to reveal himself and how he’s been acting in Cor’s story. I love that during the entire scene, Aslan is walking beside Cor to protect him from falling off the mountain, and also that he is guiding Cor to exactly the place he needs to be. I love Cor’s response to seeing Aslan, and I love that Aslan leaves him a footprint-full of cold water at the end. It’s just a beautiful picture of God’s provision and love and kindness and knowledge of us.

Favorite Bible verse:

Again, hard to choose. But for now I’ll say Ephesians 3:17-19: “That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Hi, I’m Gianah.

How I got interested in Narnia:

I got interested in Narnia when my friend forced me to watch The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I immediately bought the collection of all seven books, joined tumblr and then got even more obsessed with it. Once I found out other people actually really liked the series, I started to be more invested. The rest is history.

Favourite Bible Verse:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ 29:11

Kinds of art or content I enjoy/make:

I love both writing and painting/ drawing. I love making analysis texts so much, and also narrative texts.

Hey everyone! I'm Astriella :)

How I got into Narnia:

I've loved Narnia since I was about twelve, when I was first allowed to read the books (I think I burned through all 7 in about a month!). Even then I loved finding “hidden meanings” in stuff and Narnia is a treasure trove of allegory and allusion!

My favourite non-human character:

My favorite has to be Jewel the Unicorn.  Both because unicorns are amazing and majestic and all, but because of his loyalty for Tirian, his sacrificial love, and his gentle gentility.

My favorite Aslan moment: 

It has to be from VotDT, from the Dark Island where nightmares come true.  Lucy, up in the crow’s-nest, looks down on the havoc and chaos on deck as the sailors panic in terror, and whispers to Aslan, begging for help. And help comes in the form of an albatross, which circles the crow’s-nest before leading the ship to safety; but in that moment Lucy hears Aslan’s voice whisper to her, “Courage, dear heart.” That scene means a lot to me because anxiety always provides plenty of possible nightmares, but I know my God will lead me to safety and He gives me courage.

Hello! I’m Haaven!

How I got interested in Narnia:

 I literally cannot remember a time when I wasn’t. I grew up on the series. My true obsession with it, however, would have begun in about 4th grade when I found the entire series in the school library and read them all for the first time.

When/how I became a Christian?

 I could talk for a very long time on this, but I’ll try to keep in short(ish). I grew up in a Christian home so I always kind of knew  that I needed Jesus, but I didn’t know how to go about it. I was also the most shy person you would ever meet, so I wasn’t about to ask anyone how, either. But then when I was ten, I went to church camp for one week during the summer for the first time. (I wasn’t sure I really wanted to go, but my mom convinced me with, “Well, your sister will be there, so you’ll be fine!” haha.) And, I guess you could say, the rest is history (since this is the short version, haha). :P

Favorite Narnia-esque songs:

 I have so many, but I will limit myself to three: All the King’s Horses by Karmina (totally an Edmund/ movie!PC!Peter/ Eustace song!), Up All Night by David Archuleta (okay, yes, I know this is a love song, but if you think about it as Lucy and Aslan especially in LWW… It’s adorable, okay?!?), and Beautifully Broken by Plumb (sort of a post-Last Battle Susan song).

Hi! My name is Lailenah.

Favorite non-human Narnia character:

This is a tough question, because the majority of my faves aren’t human! Hwin and Bree, Mr. Tumnus, Reepicheep, the centaurs, and then of course Aslan in his completely own category...But I’m going to have to go with Puddleglum because I LOVE him. Many heroes tend to be optimistic, hopeful, and outgoing people, but Puddleglum’s the opposite. And yet he’s still a very caring, courageous, and loyal individual; he stays true to his faith and encourages the others to do the same, especially in the scene where the Green Witch tries to enchant them so they deny that the world above and Aslan exist. And when everything is at its most hopeless point, he’s the one to offer hope in the form of, “We’re just four babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play world that licks your world hollow. That’s why I’m on Aslan’s side, even if there’s no Aslan to lead it.” He’s not a ray of sunshine, but he can be a gleam in the darkest places, when it’s most needed. And sometimes I feel like as a Christian, some people expect that you must always be “joyful” (aka wear a cheerful smile, be optimistic, and act outgoing) to be a good witness and influential for Christ. But Puddleglum reminds me that I can be real, I can be honest, and I can be an encouragement to others even when I am at a low point (in fact, being with others during their low points because I understand how it feels might be when I am most needed!). My faith and my effectiveness to others as a Christian is not less because I am not an extrovert. It is not less because I struggle mentally and feel exhausted because of anxious or depressed thoughts. No. I was created the way I am for a reason. I have the challenges I have for a reason. We all do, and that’s okay. No matter our differences, we’re not less than anyone else in God’s loving eyes, and He has a unique time and place for each of us to serve as His light as Puddleglum did.

Favorite Narnia book:

It’s always been the Last Battle. I love how intense it gets in this book, how the evil is overwhelming, the stakes are high, and the battle between right and wrong is at its climax. It feels like the good guys are losing as their already sparse armies dwindle, and the main characters are being forced into the stable. Sometimes that sense of being overwhelmed mirrors how I feel when I look at all the scary, sad, and bad things happening in the world today, but I’m encouraged by the characters who still are soldiers for Aslan’s cause, who keep going and trusting in what’s right in spite of that and in spite of the fact that can’t see what’s coming next. And then, of course, Aslan’s country. I love seeing all the familiar faces from throughout the series and the joy and rest they find in eternity with Aslan and their loved one. It shows that it truly is worth it all.

What kind of content or art I make/enjoy:

I have always loved to write!  So fanfiction and meta are definitely my favorite ways to participate. Bet you couldn’t tell that I tend to drone on. ;)  (I also make mood boards on occasion.)

Hi, Elledia here!

Favourite book: 

A Horse and His Boy or Silver Chair

What age we got interested in Narnia: 

I SAY 7, but I grew up watching the BBC miniseries, so I don’t know for sure.

Favourite Aslan quote:

 “And I was the Lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”

When/how I became a Christian:

 Raised in the church/missionary brat. I decided when I was around eight that I wanted to be baptized and though there’ve been some bumps along the way, I’m growing in Christ as best as I can.

Narnia-esque songs: 

“If You Want Me To” by Ginny Owens reminds me a lot of Narnia, for some reason.

Kinds of art or content I enjoy/make:

 I write, so fanfic and metas are my thing, but I enjoy all kinds of art.

Anyways, it’s great to meet you all! We hope to interact with you all more in the future, and as we begin creating original posts for this blog. Our ask box is open, should you have any questions! Thanks for following us! <3

[teabooksandsweets]

Their struggles with returning to England have been addressed, and even more so their grief about their return to Narnia after such a long time. (And as for the former—having lost a childhood and being able to be a child again was a wonderful prospect for war generations. And returning to home destroyed a very common misfortune.)

Jesus is “a Thing” in Narnia: spiritually, because Narnia exists in the same realm of universes as our world, and even if it doesn’t share any organized religion, the presence of Aslan is also a presence of Jesus, and Father Christmas might very well exist across worlds, and 2. culturally, because of Frank and Helen who were humans from London and very likely Christians.

Jadis hates Father Christmas for the obvious reasons that 1. he brings joy and and goods to people, and 2. his whole purpose is to celebrate the birth of Jesus (and, therefore, Aslan). And because he is simply good, and technically a more powerful being than her, though too different to compare.

Roman and Greek gods in Narnia also makes sense, because they too, as nature spirits rather than gods, might exist across worlds and moved to other words upon... whatever, finding this world not magical enough? Anything of that kind. The worlds are, after all, interconnected, and magic exists.

If the Temlarines descend from pirates, and the Archenlanders from others, then who knows what other peoples have found a way to Narnia, by accident or not, from our world and entirely other ones. Just like the Calormenes. Oh, and as for the time, given that Narnia only exists since about 1900 in our world: with Narnia being created, it’s portals might root much into the past, given how different time works for all the different works.

Aslan never whisked many people out, because it isn’t about age. He let Frank and Helen stay, and all the following generations grew up. Narnia is not some sort of child-country, and people don't get sent out of it for growing up (or having sex, as some people like to claim) it’s just that the Pevensies (and Eustace and Jill) had finished their journeys (spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, adventur-y—whatever you may call it) in Narnia.

All other points are just fun fantasy things in a fantasy series, that were mentioned because they exist and were of relevance or interest as a certain point in the stories. Not everything has to be explained in full detail to qualify as decent world bulding. People don’t know everything, and not everything always comes up to people. A realistic novel set in a small town in Europe, for instance, does not need a detailed account of the live of a certain species of butterfly living in South America, even if it might be mentioned at a point, to make proper world building. A lot of things in Narnia are unexplored even by Narnians, and not really comprehensible for the children who went there.

I mean, yes, it would be fun to be explored (and sometimes, the mystery itself is fun) but it’s not a weakness or an error.

narnia has actually way too many completely devastating concepts in it that are not explored At All

[standtoreason93]

One Way or Any Way? – Part 2

By Greg Koukl

I do not consider myself a particularly brave person, and I think it especially foolish, on the main, to make a frontal assault on a clearly superior force. Further, it is always dangerous to cross theological swords with C.S. Lewis. He was, arguably, the most compelling voice for Christianity in the 20thcentury, and his impact continues unabated into the 21st.

Even so, as a young Christian I read something Lewis wrote that gave me pause the first time I saw it. Now, decades later, it troubles me more than ever. The problematic piece appears towards the end of The Last Battle, the final installment of Lewis’s wonderful and theologically rich children’s fantasy, The Chronicles of Narnia.

Emeth, a noble young Calormene soldier who all his life had innocently served Tash, the false god of his people, encounters Aslan face to face for the first time.

“Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash,” he admits to the great lion.

“Child,” Aslan answers, “all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me…. If any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him.”[i]

In narrative form, Lewis seems to be suggesting that those who sincerely pursue God the best way they know how, regardless of the particulars of their own religion, are accepted by Him. Could he be right?

Anonymous Christians?

I don’t for a moment think Lewis was a pluralist. In fact, when Emeth asks Aslan if he and Tash are one (“Tashlan,” as some had put it), he “growled so that the earth shook.” This was error; Tash and Aslan were opposites. Clearly, though, the religious sincerity and the noble life of this young Calormene were taken by Aslan as implicit loyalty to the lion himself.

Lewis intimates that, though all religions are not true in themselves (pluralism), there still exist people of other faiths who are what Catholic theologian Karl Rahner called “anonymous Christians”—those enjoying the grace that comes through Jesus alone, even though they never explicitly put their faith in Him.

Was Lewis right? Many Evangelicals in this country seem to think he was, giving rise to a trend I have called the “confused confession.” It’s a term I introduced in the last issue of Solid Ground (January 2019) to describe the following claim: “Jesus is my savior. He is the only way for me. But I can’t say He is the way for others.”

As I argued earlier, this could mean a number of different things.[ii] Some, for example, may be uncertain about the fate of those who never heard about Jesus. This, I think, is Lewis’s concern. Perhaps God will judge them by the limited light they’ve been shown. Others, though, seem to take it quite a bit further.

Dinesh D’Souza, author of the vigorous defense of Christianity titled What’s So Great about Christianity, faltered in a debate with atheist Christopher Hitchens and Jewish thinker Dennis Prager. When asked by Prager if Jews who do not accept Jesus as savior can still be saved, he said, “I believe the answer to that is yes.” Clearly, Abraham made it to Heaven without believing in Jesus, D’Souza pointed out. There must be, then, another “mode of salvation…that doesn’t include Jesus.”[iii]        

In her book A Simple Path, Mother Teresa explained why she did not “preach religion” to those in her care. In a section titled “Equal Before God” she writes:

There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic.[iv]

Consequently, Mother Teresa never considered it a problem when people of different religions joined together in prayer at her center and read from their own scriptures, since her focus was to encourage them in their “relationship with God, however that may be.”

Roman Catholic thinker Avery Cardinal Dulles makes this stunning claim in his essay “Who Can Be Saved?”:

Jews can be saved if they look forward in hope to the Messiah and try to ascertain whether God’s promise has been fulfilled. Adherents of other religions can be saved if, with the help of grace, they sincerely seek God and strive to do his will. Even atheists can be saved if they worship God under some other name and place their lives at the service of truth and justice.[v]

Remarks like these raise a host of questions. If Jews today don’t need to believe in Jesus, but can be saved as Abraham was, why did both Jesus and Paul say the gospel should go to the Jews first, before it went to the Gentiles (Matt. 10:5–6, Acts 1:8, Rom. 1:16)? Given that Hindus worship idols, wouldn’t helping them be “better” Hindus make them better at breaking God’s first commandments (Ex. 20:3–5)? If atheists are seeking truth, why does Paul say they are suppressing the truth (Rom. 1:18)? If people following false religions are recipients of God’s grace, why does Scripture say they have exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Rom. 1:25) and are therefore without excuse (1:20)? Worse, what implications do such sentiments have for the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20)?

This is why I call such a confession “confused.” It may sound plausible at first, but it is hard to make sense of it in light of either Old or New Testament teaching.

Let me tell you one of the reasons this confusion gets a foothold. People draw the wrong conclusions from an obvious scriptural fact: Not everyone in history needed to believe in Jesus to be restored to relationship with God. Though it may be that Abraham understood something about Jesus (John 8:56), that cannot be said of every patriarch, prophet, or Old Testament faithful. Despite their own sins, they still found favor with God apart from explicit faith in Christ. This is Lewis’s point.

Couldn’t the same be true today, some ask, not only of those who have never heard, but also for those who reject the message of Christ through no apparent fault of their own? How can we say what’s in a person’s heart? Who are we to judge?

This, I think, is D’Souza’s, Teresa’s, and Dulles’s point. Though Jesus’ death on the cross is the only provision for forgiveness, belief in Jesus is not the only way to receive the grace He alone provides. This view is called “inclusivism,” since even those who do not believe in Christ can, in certain circumstances, be “included” in the grace that He alone secures.

It is true; you and I are in a poor position to judge the hearts of others. But God is not. Though our judgments may falter, His are true. Has He said anything to shed light on this question? He has. Lots.

A “Jealous” God

First, it might be helpful to remember that from the very beginning, the God of the Bible has been narrow in His demands.

Adam and Eve’s violation of God’s singular restriction in the garden brought swift justice. The serpent’s suggestion of an alternate route to wisdom, knowledge, and fulfillment resulted in death, not the promised enlightenment.

God’s very first commandment to His fledgling people explicitly condemned all other “roads to Rome.” In Exodus 20:2–5, He said, “I am the Lord your God.... You shall have no other gods before Me.... You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” Transgressors of this command were executed, some destroyed directly by God Himself.

God showed His utter contempt for other religions by pummeling Egypt with plagues, each one directed at a different Egyptian deity (Exodus 12:12b: “...and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord”). The capstone plague ended the life of every firstborn whose doorway lacked the blood covering that was to be applied according to God’s very precise and particular conditions.

During their wanderings in the desert, the Jews were offered only one antidote to the poison of the serpents God had unleashed in judgment upon them. Only those who gazed upon a bronze snake lifted up on a pole were spared (Num. 21:9). Jesus Himself cites this event as a type—a foreshadowing—of His crucifixion, which alone purchases eternal life (John 3:14–15).

In Acts, we learn that “Christian” was not the first name given to the followers of Jesus. Instead, the name they used for themselves embodied the heart of their message about the Savior. They were simply called “The Way”—not “a way,” or “one of the ways,” or “our way,” but The Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23).

This pervasive theme of exclusivity was captured with crystal clarity in Jesus’ words, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13–14). Jesus’ very next words warned of false prophets who would appear as sheep yet would ravage the flock like wild wolves.

From Wide to Narrow?

Even so, it does seem that New Testament standards are more “narrow” than Old Testament ones. Why is that? Here, some distinctions may be helpful.

First, throughout the biblical revelation, the source of salvation has always been the unmerited mercy of God. Our Sovereign owes no rebel a pardon. That He extends clemency to any is a pure gift of grace (Eph. 2:8, Titus 3:4–7).

Second, the ground of salvation has always been the redemption secured by Christ on the cross. Old Testament saints who, because of progressive revelation, had not yet learned about Jesus were still saved because of Him. God “passed over the sins previously committed” (Rom. 3:25), knowing the full, complete, and final payment would be made at the cross (Heb. 9:15, 10:10–18).

Third, the means of salvation has also been constant. Every sinner ever justified gained access to God’s mercy by faith. Whether in Old Testament or New, active trust in God’s grace appropriated His mercy. In every age, the just have lived by faith (Gen. 15:6, Hab. 2:4, Rom. 4:5, 5:1).

Each of those has been constant. Only one thing changed as God progressively revealed His plan. The way one expressed their faith in God (the means), that appropriated the work of Christ (the ground), based on the grace of God (the source), has been different at different times.

Adam received the covering God provided for his nakedness and trusted God’s promise that a seed of woman would crush the serpent (Gen. 3:15, 21). Abraham simply believed God’s promise of descendants who would bring blessing to the nations of the earth (Gen. 12:3, 15:6). Jewish slaves in Egypt trusted God by believing the blood covering would protect them from the plague of death at the Passover (Ex. 12:13, 23). Old Testament saints trusted God through the atoning sacrifices He required to cover their sins (Leviticus).

There is only one question we need to answer at this point: What is the appropriate way of expressing faith now, in the New Covenant period, since the public appearance and proclamation of the world’s singular Messiah?

The answer from every New Testament writer is the same. Since Pentecost, the focus of faith and the ground of salvation are one and the same: Jesus. There is no other name that can save, and there is no other “name” we may put our trust in. Not the Levitical sacrifices or Passover blood (Heb. 10:8–10). Not zeal or sincerity (Rom. 10:1–2). Certainly not pagan gods, false prophets, or counterfeit religions (Matt. 24:23–25, Gal. 1:8–9, Jude 4).

That’s why Jesus said that our response to Him would be the acid test of our true loyalty to the Father. Anyone who loves God will honor the One sent by God. Conversely, those who reject Him, reject the Father also. This one point is so critical, it is repeated in various ways no less than 16 times in the New Testament (John 5:23b, 5:37–38, 8:19, 8:42a, 12:48–50, 14:7, 15:20b–21, 15:23, 16:2–3; 1 John 2:22, 2:23, 4:2–3, 4:15, 5:1, 5:9–12; 2 John 1:7–9a).

These verses reveal something crystal clear to me. Had any Old Testament saints lived during the time of Jesus or after, their love for the Father demonstrated by their earlier expression of faith would have driven them to embrace His Son, Jesus. Each one of those accepted by the Father under the Old Covenant would have loved the Son of the New (“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad,” John 8:56).

In a sense, then, nothing has changed from Genesis to Revelation. God’s way has always been specific, limited, and precise. A narrow gate leads to life. A broad way leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13–14).

And there are many more verses that make this clear. For example:

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)

“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

“And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:8–9)

And after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:30–31)

I testify about [the Jews] that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Rom. 10:2–4)

And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1 John 5:11–12)

The God-Fearing Gentile

The most compelling single passage against inclusivism comes from the book of Acts and the conversion of a Gentile named Cornelius. Scripture says Cornelius was “a devout man…who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually” (10:2). Indeed, his “prayers and alms [had] ascended as a memorial before God” (10:4). As “a righteous and God-fearing man,” he was “divinely directed by a holy angel” to send for Peter to come to his house and hear a message from him (10:22).

This is quite a spiritual pedigree, all without the gospel of Christ. In fact, Peter was so impressed at the clear working of God in Cornelius’ life, he said, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (10:34–35). This is the whole of inclusivist theology in a single sentence. Everything stated about Cornelius fulfills the inclusivists’ demand.

What does Peter do next? He does not assure this “anonymous Christian” that all is well and turn on his heel to leave. Instead, he preaches the life, death, and resurrection of Christ (10:36–41), then warns of final judgment by Jesus for all except those who believe in Him for the forgiveness of their sins(10:42–43).

Why go through all this trouble and labor over theological details about Jesus? Here’s why. For all his spiritual nobility, Cornelius is still lost. If the inclusivist gospel were true, Cornelius would not have needed a special visit from Peter. Yes, Cornelius had responded faithfully to all the revelation given to him up to that point. But it was not enough. It was just the first step. Even God-fearing Cornelius needed the rest of the story, the specifics about Christ and the cross, without which he could not be saved.

The teachings of Christ and also the writings of those disciples Jesus personally trained to proclaim His message after Him give little comfort to inclusivists. Remarkably, Dulles admits as much: “The New Testament and the theology of the first millennium give little hope for the salvation of those who, since the time of Christ, have had no chance of hearing the gospel.”[vi]If this is the clear testimony of the ancients, what good reason do we have to abandon that message in the modern era? I don’t see any.

And I will give you one final reason to be faithful to that message.

Pascal Redux

I have a last thought for any who may still be tempted to sit on the fence on this issue. Blaise Pascal, the 17th century French scientist and Christian sage, once offered a famous wager to his detractors. Based merely on a kind of cost/benefit risk assessment, Pascal argued it is smart to “bet” on God. If the Christian is right, he gains eternal life. If wrong, he passes into non-existence, nothing lost. The atheist, on the other hand, gains nothing substantial if correct, and if incorrect suffers eternally for his error.

I think the wisdom of Pascal’s wager applies to inclusivism. If we preach the message of Jesus, the apostles, and the early church—that faith in Christ is necessary for salvation—and we are wrong, what is the downside? If we proclaim that those separated from the gospel are also separated from Christ and have no hope and are without God in the world (Eph. 2:12), yet we are mistaken, Heaven will be more crowded than we thought. If we erroneously preach exclusivism, the upshot is good news, not bad.

However, what if we take the side of inclusivism and err? What if we are wrong when we teach that the person who has heard the gospel of Christ does not have to answer its challenge by humbling himself before the cross? What if we say that sincere people will be accepted by God in the pursuit of their own religious convictions? What if we discourage other Christians from “forcing” their views on “good” Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc.? What if we do any of these things and it turns out their rejection of Christ—either active or passive—seals their fate: judgment and an eternity of suffering for their crimes against God? What is the downside then? Only that we have given false hope to the lost and have prevented them from seriously considering the only salvation available to them. If you are an inclusivist and you are wrong, that is very bad news.

It seems we have a simple choice. We can be broad-minded and advance the broad way, a path Jesus said leads to destruction. Or we can endure being called “narrow-minded” and preach the narrow way, the only path that Jesus said leads to life. I, for one, would not want to be on the inclusivist’s side of this issue.

_____________________

[i] C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle (New York: Collier, 1956), 164–5.

[ii] For details, refer to “One Way or Any Way?—Part 1,” Solid Ground, January 2019, at str.org.

[iii] Dinesh D’Souza, “The Christian God, the Jewish God, or No God: A Meaningful Dialogue,” May 8, 2008. Find a video clip of this portion of the debate at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoonNPAs1Zc.

[iv] Mother Teresa, A Simple Path (New York: Ballantine Books, 1995), 31.

[v] Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., “Who Can Be Saved?,” First Things, February 2008.

[vi] Ibid.

[kuuderekun]

The Gospel According to the East

https://jaredmithrandirolorin.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-gospel-according-to-east.html

In the mid 90s Shoujo Magical Girl Warrior Anime Wedding Peach in almost every episode the title character in her proto Team Rocket Motto style speech expressing her disapproval of the monster of the week's actions declares "I will NOT forgive you".  However by the end of this episode that is proven wrong, she is actually very forgiving, even the main big bad is redeemed in the end.  And in at least one episode this alleged refusal to forgive is contradicted within seconds of proclaiming it. The God of The Bible never expresses a refusal to forgive nearly that unambiguous, but I do think it's a good analogy for how to look at the many passages of The Bible that makes people think of Yahuah as some angry God of vengeance.  The passages that make critics of my soterology think Jesus clearly isn't going to save everyone even though several key passages of Scripture clearly say He will.  Yes when He's angry He sounds like no one has ever been angrier at anyone then He is at His children.  But as Psalm 30 and 103 say His anger only lasts for a moment. This is no where near the only time Anime speaks to my view of The Gospel and God's True Nature.  It shows up elsewhere in the Magical Girl genre like Daybreak Illusion which I talked about in early June, it's in Nausicaa of The Valley of The Wind and SSSS.Gridman and in a post I made about Higurashi. Soterology isn't the only area where I feel Western Christianity has been corrupted by 15 centuries of mixing with Platonic Philosophy and Roman legalism.  But to critics of what I believe, me unapologetically saying I see the True Biblical Gospel more in the fiction of Japanese Pagans then American Evangleicalism seemingly proves their point. But I also have posts dedicated to proving Universal Salvation isn't Pagan, at least it's not compatible with true Ancient Paganism, (I won't speculate on how Universalist modern Wiccans, Druid, Odnists and Kemites are).  True Ancient Paganism was if anything the opposite, no one is saved, there is no hope of escape from Hades/Sheol. And actual traditional Shinto mythology is no different, (remember even in Japan Anime is a niche interest).  Izanami and Izanagi are eternally separated with her forever trapped in Yomi.  Otaku Media and also some Shoujo media seem to be the product of a deliberate rebellion against that pessimistic theology even when seemingly working within it. David Bently Hart in his recent interview with Peter Hiett talks about how a lot of classical Greek plays like Antigone are about a character offering themselves as a willing sacrifice for the good of the community.  He sees the Passion narrative as being like that at first, but the Gospel is the subversion, God rejects the Sacrifice by Resurrecting the Victim.  And that too reminds me of what separates a lot of my favorite Anime from most Western Supehero media. "Where there is death there will always be Death" is a quote from Men In Black 3.  Everyone knew someone had to die in Avengers Endgame, that they couldn't just undo the Snap without any Sacrifice, I love the film even though I was hoping they'd subvert that and was disappointed when I knew they wouldn't. But in Anime this is rejected often.  In Magical Girl Anime like Prisma Illya where she is constantly told she can't save both and constantly says NO to that.  As well as in Digibro's Otaku Hero's Journey premise where saying they will fix the world without anyone needing to die is a vital element.  In Stein;Gate the show seemed to be based on saying they can't save both Mayuri and Kurisu and so the character often jokingly called Cristina willingly sacrifices herself, and if it were a normal American show it'd have ended with episode 22, but it didn't. I'm not saying Western Media never does that, but it's less common and far more likely to be criticized.  Just imagine what a review of The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe would be like from a critic who didn't know it was a Christian allegory? Aslan's Resurrection would have been labeled a cowardly cop out. So the question is, why?  If it's not natural for Paganism to be like this, yet these writers are non Christians often explicitly drawing on Shintoism in these stories.  And according to mainstream history Japan's first and still primary contact with Christianity was via Tridentine Catholicsm.  Why does this one particular subculture keep unintentionally echoing the Gospel? It could be the same way certain Greek Pagan writings were selectively useful to Paul in places like Acts 17 (Peter Hiett's Acts 17 sermon is pretty good).  Or maybe it has something to do with the controversial theory that "Nestorian" Christians came to Japan in the 5th-9th Centuries? The history of the Nestorian schism is more complicated then most Calcedonians and Miaphysites want to make it sound.  It ultimately had little to do with Nesotriaus and it was mainly made unfixable by Jusitnian's obsession with condemning Theodore of Mopsuesta, who taught Universal Salvation just as unambiguously as Gregory of Nysaa, but did so from a hyper Literalist rather then Origenist view of Scripture.  Isaac of Nineveh and the Book of the Bee show that this branch of Christianity was where Universal Salvation thrived during the Dark Ages of the Churches West of the Euphrates. There is no controversy that the Nestorian Church had a strong presence in China during the 7th and 8th Centuries because of the Xi'an Stele.  It is also well known that during the Asuka, Nara and early Heian periods Japan had a lot of contact and cultural exchange with China, for example this is when Buddhism came to Japan.  And Christians have a commission to bring the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth, Nippon was as far as they knew the Eastern End. I don't want to say anything to definitive on any of the specifics of this theory.  It often gets wrapped up in Lost Tribes theories which I'm far more hesitant to endorse.  But I notice that these theories do involve claiming certain figures traditionally viewed as Buddhist to have been actually Nestorians.  The Xi'an Stele used Buddhist imagery like the Lotus Flower, showing these Chinese Nestorians were just as okay with drawing on the local secular philosophies as the Greek Churches were (I do not think all Christian use of Greek Philosophy is bad, I just really distrust Plato and Augustine).  Both religions had a monastic tradition and both claimed to offer "Enlightenment" in some sense.  So I could see reactionary Shinto traditionalists distrustful of any foreign Chinese influence not bothering to distinguish between them. So is it possible these tendencies of Anime I like are echos of the Gospel of Theodore of Mopsuesta?  I would need a lot more links in the chain to make that argument solid, but it's an idea rolling around in my head. The Good Gods of Otaku Media are often Goddesses.  That could just be a reflection of Amaterasu as the usual chief Kami in Shintoism.  But I have also argued on my blogs for there being a Feminine side to the God of Abraham.