With all of the “Narnia” movie premiere hype going on, which my fellow bloggers have been commenting on eloquently, I had to laugh when my friend–and author of her own book connected to “Chronicles”–Sarah Arthur, sent me an article on Aslan that made my day. Freelance writer Mary Beth Ellis dares to suggest that we should all just lighten up a little when it comes to this debate over symbolism and allegory in Lewis’ beloved tale.

Don’t misunderstand. Ellis is a big fan of Aslan. In fact , she thinks he is ideal as a savior figure. He doesn’t talk too much (Ellis somehow figured out he only speaks 922 words in “Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe”), doesn’t have endless rules, and loves to hang out with Father Christmas. In fact, since Aslan is always “on the move” and “not quite tame,” she is convinced he could do anything he wants, including wintering at Palm Springs or hanging out with a celebrity. Obviously, Ellis was being tongue-in-cheek, but her humorous words provided me with yet another reminder of why Aslan is one cool cat whom I want to spend more time with.