Narnia Comes to Life

This past year and a half in my job with the Church of Ireland Youth Department has been wonderful on so many levels. Not least, the historic elements of the island that I face daily, which, being a lover of history is no small thing. Even our offices are steeped in history and are tied to none other than the man, the legend . . C.S. Lewis himself. Lewis' grandfather was the rector of St. Marks Parish in Dundela, East Belfast, Co. Down, Northern Ireland when Lewis was a child in the first part of the 20th century. The Rectory (where a Rector lives) is located next to St. Marks and is now office space for organisations born out of the Church of Ireland. Our Youth Department had been located there for over twenty years. Lewis was baptised in that church and he stayed in the Rectory when he'd visit his grandparents as a child. Some even say he slept in the attic space (servants' quarters) in which our offices were located until three weeks ago. It is quite conceivable that Lewis would have been able to see that great ship - the Titanic - being built from his own neighbourhood in the Belfast shipyards. With the recent release of the film The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, I thought it might be cool to post a picture of the front door of the Rectory at St. Marks. The door is the only part of the building that is protected as an historic item. And you'll notice that the door handle is none other than a lion's head. Could this have been a source of some of Lewis' inspiration for Aslan coupled with the figure of his grandfather, the clergyman? Who knows? But it is interesting that to enter the Rectory, one must grab hold of the lion as the handle for the door. Bring anything to mind . . . "I am the Way . . Truth . . Life . ." [John 14:6]? As a side note, Christy and I have been privileged to stay in the home of the stepson of C.S. Lewis - Douglas Gresham - and his wife Merrie. They have been resident in Ireland for the past 14 years (give or take) and are now leaving us for sunnier weather. Great job Douglas on helping bring a vision to reality with the recent release of the film, and blessings on you both as you begin a new adventure!