Thursday, May 26, 2011

"For all find what they truly seek"

In this passage taken from C.S. Lewis' "The Last Battle," the pagan Calormene Emeth describes his encounter with Aslan:

Then I fell at his feet and thought, 'Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honour) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, 'Son, thou art welcome.'

But I said, 'Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash.'

He answered, 'Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.'

Then by reason of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, 'Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one?'

The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, 'It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites -- I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore, 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. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child?'

I said, 'Lord, thou knowest how much I understand.' But I said also (for truth constrained me), 'Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days.'

'Beloved,' said the Glorious One, 'unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.'

C.S. Lewis, "The Last Battle." The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 7. New York: Harper-Collins, 1956. Pg. 204 (Chapter 15)
Hat-tip to Julie Robison at The Corner with a View.
To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:
The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 7)

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