C S Lewis is masterful in his portraits of Christ that are sprinkled through his famous Chronicles of Narnia. Some are frequently retold and have become well known, like the children’s first enquiry about Aslan the great lion, who is Christ: “Is he safe?” they ask, to which the answer returns, “Of course he’s not safe. But he’s good”. The image so well captures Christ’s perfect holiness and absolute sovereignty, and has helped many pilgrims to resist the temptation to domesticate God.

Another portrait that has greatly encouraged comes in The Horse and His Boy, where the hero of the story is forced by circumstances to accompany his horse through unknown territory on a foggy night. At a particular point in the journey, they become aware of something walking quietly with them – Aslan – who gently introduces himself and wonderfully explains some mysteries and reveals his providential care.

But a further twist in the story happens when the hero is required to make the same journey, but in reverse, and this time on a sunny day; only to discover that the very place where he met Aslan was actually a dangerous ledge. “But of course,” he thought, “I was quite safe. That is why the Lion kept on my left. He was between me and the edge all the time”. And so it is. Christ is not just with us through the valley of the shadow of death, but walks at just the right place and at just the right pace.