Yesterday’s Catalyst sessions ended with a big surprise. We were treated to roughly 12-15 minutes of clips from the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe movie. The film was flown in straight from Disney on a red eye flight to Atlanta. So, be forewarned: Spoilers ahead! Spoilers ahead! Spoilers ahead! Spoilers ahead! Spoilers ahead! Spoilers ahead! Spoilers ahead! Spoilers ahead!

I’ll tell you right up front that I cried. Like a baby. So help me I cried like a baby.

I never read The Lord of the Rings before watching Fellowship so my ideas and visions of the scenes and characters have been shaped forever by Peter Jackson and the artists at Weta Wokrshops. I heard Rings fans talk of how Jacksons vision was spot on to theirs. Now I understand.

Narina is the place I would most like to visit. I have read the Cronicles many times and I have my own visions and assumptions of what the characters look like and how they sound and how they interact. Based on what I saw today, my wildest imaginations have come true. Mr. Beaver was there. Edmund was there (although I didn’t catch a glimpse of the sweet Turkish delight which looks like Baclava in my dreams). The evil White Witch was there staring at us with her black eyes and hollow heart. Narina was alive and moving up on the screen.

Then came the song with a roar and he appeared. Aslan- larger than life itself.

The clips featured were from all over the picture but were reserved relatively in order. The tears started at the sight of the stone table. Then it showed Aslan ascending the stairs willfully sacrificing himself on the great stone table. It didn’t show the shearing of his mane but you could see the king lifeless without his crown upon that cold table. The very next scene showed the White Witch wearing Aslan’s mane into battle. I absolutely lost it.

There were quite a lot of shots of the battle but the final shot was the White Witch looking to the horizon and saying, “No! It’s impossible!”

Then came the song with a roar and he appeared. Aslan- risen from the dead!

I wonder why this story resonates in my heart?