“Well, we are safe, even as we are as vulnerable as kittens, because love, the riskiest thing we do, makes us safe.”
~ Anne Lamott, from her new book: Almost Everything
In C.S. Lewis’s classic, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Pevensie children find themselves in the magical land of Narnia after stepping through a door in the back of a wardrobe that is stored in an attic. Once there, they learn of Aslan, who is anything but a vulnerable little kitten. He is the fierce, gigantic, talking lion known as the King of Narnia, the King of Beasts, the Lord of the Wood, and son of the great Emperor-Beyond-The Sea.* He is powerful, wise, kind, just, and loving. All of those on the wrong side of all that he stands for fear him, as rightly they should. All of those who seek to stand on the same side of all that he stands for fear him, as rightly they should. He is, after all, the King of Narnia, King of Beasts, Lord of the Wood, and son of the great Emperor-Beyond-The-Sea.
Susan, the middle child of the four Pevensie siblings, has heard much of Aslan, but has yet to meet him. She has heard only of all the good that the powerful Aslan has done, and will do, and is excited at the prospect of meeting him. And, as you might imagine if you were going to meet a fierce, gigantic, talking Lion who reigns over all, you might be a tad bit nervous too. Hoping to allay her fears, she has a conversation with her new friend, Mr. Beaver.
“Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”
Safe is overrated.
Being true to your convictions isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Speaking your mind isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Adventures aren’t safe. But they’re good.
Curiosity isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Creativity isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Meaningful work isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Authenticity isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Vulnerability isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Hard conversations aren’t safe. But they’re good.
Asking for help isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Raising your hand in a meeting isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Reaching across the aisle isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Speaking truth to power isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Asking for forgiveness isn’t safe. But it’s good.
Extending forgiveness isn’t safe. But it’s good.
And above all else...
Love isn’t safe. But it’s good.
When we go for safe, we will never get the chance to walk through the door in the back of a wardrobe that is stored in an attic, and find ourselves in a magical land. Not to mention the possibility of meeting a fierce, giagantic, talking lion.
I’ll take good over safe any day.
