So I read Beyond the Deepwoods today. It's the first book in the awesome series The Edge Chronicles. This isn't a book review, only as I was reading, it got me thinking about some things. I'm only going to talk about the very last chapter of the book, so if you haven't read it, I do apologize for spoiling it for you.
In the last chapter of the book Twig, the hero of the story, ends up in what is called the Wastelands. He has traveled far from his home, has never known his parents and never fit in, no matter where he went. Finally he comes to a cliff and meets the Gloamglozer, an evil creature much like Satan who has led Twig on throughout the whole story to this point. Twig has just been abandoned by the sky pirates and the Gloamglozer takes advantage of Twig as he pities himself. First he tells Twig that he is special and that if he just takes his hand, he will show Twig how to be like him. How to change shapes and go where he pleases and be great like the Gloamglozer. The Gloamglozer uses enticing words to get Twig to take that one step over the edge. Finally Twig gives in and only then does he see the Gloamglozer's evil plan. Twig is falling to certain death. As he falls, he hears the Gloamglozer cackle and tell him that he is truly nothing. Nothing at all, and he will never be anything. Twig despairs and wonders if he will just fall forever. But then he realizes that he is something after all. He is Twig, who survived many days on his own through the treacherous woods. He yells at the Gloamglozer that he is someone after all, and as long as he is someone, he has hope. At that very moment Twig is saved by a Caterbird, the equivalent of a guardian angel, and carried to safety.
This whole scene reminded me of Satan, and how he leads us in sin using sweet words of power and riches and fame, and then just as we take his hand and follow his path to sin and death, we are saved by the grace of God and his Son Jesus Christ. Satan led Adam and Eve into sin with enticing words, but his words covered up his evil desire to plunge man into sin. Because of Christ's death and resurrection we are given a new life. There is now hope for the future. Whereas before we were dead and as nothing, now we are made alive and the children of God. Now we can know that no matter who we are, or where we live, or how lonely things seem to get, we *are* somebody in Christ. Satan has no power over us, just as the Gloamglozer ultimately had no power over Twig. Satan will win battles, just as the Gloamglozer tempted Twig over the edge. But ultimately, Christ will win in the end, even as He has already. And because we know that good wins over evil, so we also know that the Gloamglozer will not be able to claim Twig as his own. For time and again, stories in life - fiction and non-fiction - reflect the truth of Christ's redemption of His people.
