Books and eBooks by the Director
"REEPICHEEP"
"Reepicheep" is the handle I used to use when participating in Internet Chat Rooms and Newsgroups. You'd be surprised how many people recognized it. I even received e-mail from a guy in New Zealand exclaiming, *Another C.S. Lewis fan!*
For those who
don't know, the allusion comes from The Chronicles of Narnia.
This seven book, Christian fantasy series by C.S. Lewis was
originally written for children, but many have read it as adults
and found it interesting. If you read it, the most important
thing to remember is Aslan the Lion is a type of Christ.
Reepicheep was my favorite character in the series. He was a very brave and noble, two-foot tall, talking mouse. He was the only one brave enough to face "Dark Island" - where your dreams come true. Sounds appealing until you find out by "dreams" it is referring to dreams you have at night, which includes your nightmares! Think about it!
Similarly, one reason I chose "Reepicheep" for my handle was because he always bravely stood for what he believed. Moreover, as indicated, he was a creation of C.S. Lewis; and Lewis wrote many books defending the Christian faith.
For instance, in the preface to his book Mere Christianity, Lewis states, "Ever since I became a Christian I have thought that the best, perhaps the only, service I could do for my unbelieving neighbors was to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times" (Macmillan Publishing Co, Inc., p.6).
I particularly like this quote as the purpose statement for Darkness to Light ministry is "Explaining and Defending the Christian Faith." And my term "Christian faith" probably is similar to Lewis' term "Mere Christianity."
Secondly, Reepicheep was rather short; and I my self am rather short of stature (although not quite as short as Reepicheep!). So given these points, "Reepicheep" seemed an appropriate handle.
Narnia Excerpt
"Fly! Fly! About with your ship and fly! Row, row, row for your lives away from this accursed shore."
"Compose yourself," said Reepicheep, "and tell us what the danger is. We are not used to flying."
The stranger started horribly at the voice of the Mouse, which he had not noticed before.
"Nevertheless you will fly from here," he gasped. "This is the place where dreams come true."
"That's the island I've been looking for this long time," said one of the sailors. "I reckoned I'd find I was married to Nancy if we landed here."
"And I'd find Tom alive again," said another.
"Fools!" said the man, stamping his foot with rage. "That is the sort of talk that brought me here, and I'd better have been drowned or never been born. Do you hear what I have to say? This is where dreams--dreams, do you understand--come to life, come real. Not daydreams: dreams."
There was about a half a minute's silence and then, with a great clatter of armour the whole crew were tumbling down the main hatch as quick as they could and flinging themselves on the oars to row as they had never rowed before; and Drinian was swinging round the tiller, and the boatswain was giving the quickest stroke that had ever been heard at sea. For it had taken everyone just that half minute to remember certain dreams they had had--dreams that make you afraid of going to sleep again--and to realize what it would mean to land on a country where our dreams come true.s
Only Reepicheep remained unmoved.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty," he said, "are you going to tolerate this mutiny, this poltroonery? This is panic, this is a rout."
"Row, row," bellowed Caspian. "Pull for all our lives. You can say what you like, Reepicheep. There are some things no man can face.
"It is, then, my good fortune not to be a man," replied Reepicheep with a very stiff bow.
The above is my favorite passage from Narnia. It is taken from book three, Voyager of the Dawn Treader, chapter twelve, "The Dark Island" (New York: Collier Books, 1952). This passage is also one of the reasons why Reepicheep was my favorite character in the series, and hence why I chose his name for my Internet handle.
Here you have Reepicheep, a two-foot tall talking mouse, being willing to face what six-foot tall men were not, their dreams, or more correctly, their nightmares.
Reepicheep. Copyright © 1999 by Gary F. Zeolla of Darkness to Light ministry (www.zeolla.org/christian).
Books and eBooks by Gary F. Zeolla, the Director of Darkness to Light
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