#5/5 of Books That Are Mighty Close to Must Reads

I have participated in a project sponsored by a publisher to name "25 Books Every Christian Should Read." Here is my final book of the five I recommended, along with the explanation of why I chose it.

Lewis, C.S. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. New York, New York: Collier Books, 1978.
• What is your personal relationship to this book? How has it helped you? This book is an illustrated version of Lewis’ explanations of the faith that have been so helpful to me.
• Why does it make your list of top formation/discipleship titles? Any list of must-read formational books could only be complete by including a primary method of our Master Teacher – the parable. This entire book is a parable. The list would also be incomplete without a significant measure of delight – a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud expression of the joy woven into all of God’s handiwork. This book has that, too.
• What does the book add to your idea of what it means to be a modern-day Christian? Of course, theology and philosophy aren’t topics for children. Except Lewis makes them so. And in so doing he addresses weighty subjects in a way ordinary people can understand. He gives us imagery that becomes a handle for ideas we could not otherwise grasp.
• What does it offer the larger Church? Lewis’ great gift is refuting a materialistic (non-spiritual) world view and defending the reasonableness – even necessity – of a Christian spiritual perspective. Lewis makes sense of the reality of God, the miracle of Christ, the problem of pain, and the life of faith.
• What specific advice on content or strategy would you provide to someone reading the book for the first time? Read the book to a ten year old. You will both be enrapt. You will both return to the book repeatedly.
• What passage do you feel most exemplifies the message of the book? “Well, Sir, if things are real, they’re there all the time.” “Are they?” said the Professor; and Peter did not know quite what to say.”