“And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before” (C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle)

On this date 55 years ago, we lost John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley (author of Brave New World). While most of the world only remembers the first Jack (as in Kennedy), many like me point to the second Jack (as Lewis preferred to be called) as greatly influential in their growing in both faith and imagination. Narnia lives on.

I certainly can point to Mr. Lewis in the growth of my faith and imagination with books like Mere Christianity and God in the Dock for my faith, and The Chronicles of Narnia and ‘Til We Have Faces for my imagination (and a bit of faith, too).

I still say that Narnia helped me in my understanding of and longing for Heaven. I can’t say that it will be like Lewis described it in every detail, but I’m sure that it will be the true start and the real beginning of the story.

So than you, C. S. “Jack” Lewis, for your dedication to defending the faith and inspiring the imagination of millions. Your labors have not been in vain.