Turkish Delight

Every time I read “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” I experience something unique. The book plays out in my head in a new way and I feel almost as though I’m reading it again for the first time. That is one of the reasons I love this book. I feel like Lewis wrote it wanting readers to come to their own conclusions and be involved in their own way in his fairy tale. The prevalent part for me this time around was when Edmund was offered the Turkish delight and he took it. My immediate thought is “silly Edmund, why would he eat it, can’t he see it’s a terrible idea”. As I thought about it, I realized that only because I know the context and the background of the White Witch do I think Edmund should say no. In reality the Turkish delight looked delicious to Edmund and why would he pass up one of his favourite foods? This reminded me that temptation often looks good, and is pleasurable for a moment, but has no eternal benefit or value. The Turkish delight simply got Edmund into more trouble; it was an instant gratification that lead to consequences. I have been reminded to look past instant gratification and look for the things that are eternal, no matter how delightfully the temptation appears to be wrapped.