“It is as hard to explain how this sunlit land was different from the old Narnia as it would be to tell you how the fruits of that country taste. Perhaps you will get some idea of it if you think like this. You may have been in a room in which there was a window that looked out on a lovely bay of the sea or a green valley that wound away among mountains. And in the wall of that room opposite to the window there may have been a looking-glass. And as you turned away from the window you suddenly caught sight of that sea or that valley, all over again, in the looking glass. And the sea in the mirror, or the valley in the mirror, were in one sense just the same as the real ones: yet at the same time they were somehow different - deeper, more wonderful, more like places in a story: in a story you have never heard but very much want to know. The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more.” C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia)
Chills creep down my arms as I read this excerpt from C.S. Lewis's final book in his series "The Chronicles of Narnia." I stumbled upon these words today as I read through some of my favorite passages, recalling Lewis's near-perfect analogy of what Heaven will be like. This vivid description spoke to me deeply as a child, during seasons of much hardship, lying awake in bed and bundled under the covers, wishing for a world unlike anything I had ever experienced. This passage still fills me with wondrous hope for what life beyond this one will be like.
Looking out over the horizon at a vast expanse of mountain peaks towering 13,000 miles above sea level is impressive. It's also very humbling. In a reverent, marvelous sort of way. When I steady my gaze upon the the Swiss Alps, I feel like I'm breathing in something holy. I'm tasting a small morsel of Heaven, scraps off the table of eternal pleasures. It's ironic that today during our quiet time with the Lord, Ken and I read Psalm 16:11: "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Being here in Switzerland, at a Bible Seminary perched on the hills of Beatenberg for more than 115 years, open wide to the surrounding snow-capped mountains and glistening lake below, feels like a dream. A vision of unfathomable beauty. Or rather, a glimpse of something that I know in my heart to be real. To be set just far enough, over the horizon, that I can hear the distant sounds of something spectacular--what C.S. Lewis describes as "deeper, more wonderful, more like places in a story: in a story you have never heard but very much want to know."
I already look forward to coming back to Switzerland. I can't adequately express how it feels to be here. But I love it. I love how God brought us here for a few short days, to recharge and refresh us, as we continue our tour of Europe.
Here are some of my favorite photos of the landscape and our time here. Click on each photo to enlarge.
Beautiful pictures of a beautiful country! Can we go with you when you go back?!
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