Watching Prince Caspian: Where Edmund is my new favourite

Watching The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Wikipedia) this week. It's not my favourite of the Narnia films, but I do love the soundtrack.

I particularly appreciated Edmund's character and role in the story today. This film isn't really about him - it's more about Susan growing up and Lucy finding her way (back?) to Aslan. As Peter says at one point, Edmund's always there. He's there in most scenes, and at Peter's side throughout - defending him, supporting him and preventing him from making the same mistakes that Edmund himself made in earlier stories.

But he does it with such joy and relish. The scene where he reads Peter's challenge to the leaders of the opposing army - he's completely himself, comfortable as Edmund and as a King of Narnia. It doesn't matter that he's 'only' a King and Peter the High King. No longer does he compare himself to Peter, or anyone really. He knows what he is capable of and his limitations. He accepts himself as he is, the definition of humility.

And it really struck me watching it today, that this is the impact of what happened in the earlier film - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In that story Edmund messed up, publicly and with serious consequences. Even though he apologised, it should have meant his death. Aslan stepped in, led others in forgiving Edmund his mistakes and took the consequences of Edmund's actions on himself, leading to Aslan's own humiliation and death.

Edmund knows the worst that he can do - he's been at his lowest, and worse still, EVERYBODY knows it. He can't hide. He's been forgiven, he didn't die, the Witch lost, it all worked out in the end... Now what?

Edmund's answer to that question is what we see in 'Prince Caspian' - being himself and helping the others to do the same.

Patron Saint for 2014: St Vitus

Today, I used the Saint's Name Generator today to find my patron saint for 2014. And St. Vitus was chosen (image from Wikipedia):

I've never heard of him before. So I read the bio on the Catholic Online. Hmm, I thought to myself, he sounds interesting. Then I read the list of his patronage:

Vitus is considered the patron saint of actors, comedians,dancers, and epileptics. He is also said to protect against lightning strikes, animal attacks and oversleeping, and is the patron saint of Bohemia.

Actors? No.
Comedians and dancers. Not me.
Epileptics? Lightening strikes? Animal attacks? Nope.
He protects against oversleeping!!!!
That's it. That's what I need. It all makes sense now.

Happy New Year

As is rapidly becoming traditional, I'm starting a new blog for the new year.

Will 2014 be the year that I actually succeed in writing and maintaining a blog for longer than a few months?

I hope so.

What will be different this time, is my focus - Christianity and culture.