My favorite book series of all time is The Chronicles of Narnia by Dr. C.S. Lewis. The seven-book series is literary greatness from start to finish. But even more importantly, they are prophetic of the times in which we live, especially the final book, The Last Battle. For those who have never read the Chronicles, Dr. Lewis wrote them with the intention of communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Biblical Truths, and critiques against the political, social, and spiritual trends of the time. And the mighty professor of English Literature at Oxford and Cambridge universities thought it was important to reach children with the message by using techniques of fantasy and fairy tales.
The “Jesus” figure in all the stories is Aslan the Lion. He is the ultimate power of God, goodness, holiness, and righteous in all the stories, and the one character that each of the children called from this world into the world of Narnia will ultimately come to meet. There are also a few antithesis to Aslan in the stories, most notably the White Witch in books 1 and 2, the Emerald Witch (queen of Underland in book 6), and Tash - the demonic vulture-like god of Calormen (the land that is the most notable nemesis of Narnia and Archenland).
In the Last Battle (book 7), Narnia is in its twilight moments. Far divorced from its original purpose in its creation by Aslan, many of the animals in the western part of the country have become corrupt and evil. An ape named Shift manages to manipulate the current situation by using a donkey named Puzzle (probably the character in all the Chronicles of Narnia who would be considered a fool, but like Tolkien’s Peregrin Took, an honest fool!) whom he manages to clothe in the skin of a dead regular lion and pass off as Aslan the Great Lion.
Aslan has been gone from Narnia for several years. There is a king on the throne named Tirian, a descendant of King Caspian (from the previous stories; read them if you can), but as a whole the land is cynical and corrupt. Shift manages to make contact with Calormen who began an invasion into Narnia, and they end up taking the kingdom. Tirian would end up being taken captive.
The setting of the story moves to a hill with a barn on the top. This hill was a special place in previous stories. On this hill (called Stable Hill in the story) stood the Stone Table (Lewis’ version of the Ten Commandments). The crazy thing was that the gigantic crowd of animals, humans, and dwarves who came there did so because Shift (through his cronies) spread the idea the Aslan had returned there. In reality this was no one but Puzzle the Donkey in a dead lion’s skin. No one was permitted to see the lion directly. Shift is the one who the “gatekeeper.” Puzzle was inside the barn, and if by chance any creature demanded access to see “Aslan,” they would be warned that in his “terror and anger” they would be struck down. And if they dared that danger, they would be granted access, without knowing there were two Calormene soldiers just inside the barn door ready to chop off their heads.
Of course, the ape has partners in crime among the animals along with the Calormene general, Rishda Tarkaan. Shift the Ape, in his moment of “triumph” is making a speech to all the animals with Calormene soldiers all around in which he shouts that the animals should rule Narnia, and he in particular. Aslan was a fabrication of the past and not the object of worship, and in conjunction with the Calormenes, would be “Tashlan.”
Most of the Narnians, as well as a few of the Calormene soldiers, do not buy this foolishness (particularly with the Calormene army standing around with bloodied swords) but they are too afraid to say anything. But the moment of “triumph” begins to unravel because the lie of “Tashlan” starts to unravel (especially for the Calormene commander) when the foreboding presence of Tash crosses into Narnia. And then the idea of a joint hybrid between the holy Aslan and his antithesis, Tash, dissipates. Everyone is terrified and the army of Calormene began shouting their loyalty to “Tash the Inexorable.” When Tash does materialize in the story, he kills many, but the one whose ignominious end was the worst at this hand was Rishda Tarkaan (the Calormene army commander) who along with Shift the Ape was taken by the horrifying apparition alive. All the world of Narnia would hear his voice and see his dreadful form when he calls out to Rishda: “Rishda Tarkaan, you have called me into Narnia. What have you to say?” The story culminates in what is called the Last Battle and the end of “Old Narnia.” (By the way, I regret butchering this story! I recommend everyone read The Chronicles of Narnia.)
Why this introduction? Dr. Lewis’s writings after he became a Believer in Jesus Christ were parables/prophetic for the times. In each of the seven books in the Chronicles, he not only communicates the Truth of the Gospel Message, but also the rationalizations, attacks, deception, and devices of those who hate and wish to subvert that Truth in every way, shape, and form in the modern day. The nemesis in each story all reveal an aspect of the antichristian attacks on Christianity, from the White Witch’s conversation with Digory Kirke in Aslan’s Garden (Book 1) to the Emerald Witch’s attempted seduction and transformation in (Book 6), to Shift the Ape’s speech to the animals and people of Narnia after its conquest by the Calormene army (Book 7). Each of these moments are a warning to the readers (no matter what age group) to be careful of their times, and the people of their times who would attack the Judeo-Christian faith or ideas in this manner.
I mention all of this with regard to the mayoral election in New York City, and also in other major elections in other parts of the United States (the gubernatorial elections in California and Virginia). The leading contender in NYC is a 34 year old immigrant of Indian descent whose family comes from Uganda named Zohran Mamdani. He and his family are adherents of Islam, but Mamdani really bows before the demons of the LGBTQ. The ideas that he pounds his hands most on the proverbial political pulpit is “LGBTQ rights.” He also desires to legalize prostitution and sex work in the city, something that those who remember the days before Mayor Rudolf Guliani, will cringe with fear and disgust. Times Square, Fifth Avenue, Broadway turned into the worst sex exploitation hellscape in the world. I wonder why the press and the Muslim community say nothing about it? Possibly they are under the idea that they are united by common cause (meaning peddling Marxism/Socialism control of the United States’ financial capital) and so for the time being they are united bedfellows. Mamdani is just a version of Shift the Ape. Outside of politics, he has not done anything in life. He has done no other job or run any business. He and his family lived in wealth while taking the narcotic that has been the socialist dream of utopia from times past up until the present in every single nation where to this date. The academicians talked about that utopia as the “Radiant Future.” The song Imagine by late lead singer of The Beatles, John Lennon, immortalized as well as sweetened the narcotic for the wealthy, eclectic, leftists, liberal, woke crowd in Greenwich Village. And so it was with the Mamdani family who lived in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. But no one in this family, or any like them, ever thought to give up their wealth and “make the world a better place.” In a city where the super wealthy ride their yachts around Manhattan Island on a regular day without a care in the world, are they somehow now going to suffer? In my opinion, and in terms of my years of experience, No.
To quote The Godfather character, Michael Corleone, in a deleted scene from part 2, “This contempt for money is just a trick of the rich to keep the poor without it.”
Make no doubt about it. Despite his posturing and stated positions, Mamdani is not going to make life better for anyone. He has absolutely no experience building anything or doing anything practical as a livelihood, just like his socialist forebears in Russia and eastern Europe a century ago, and presently in Venezuela and Cuba. And neither does his fellow New Yorker, Alexandria Ocacio Cortez, or their mutual inspiration, Senator Bernie Sanders. In their particular jurisdiction, contempt for the rich is easy.
But in New York City, whose fault is it that the price of living is high? Whose fault is it that there is a crisis of homelessness and terrible street crime? Who thought it was a bright idea to make this city a “sanctuary” for illegal aliens? Since the exit of Mayor Guliani and Governor George Pataki, New York City and New York State was solidly run by Democrats. All of whom had one particular agenda that united them all; they all were anti-Christian. The possible exception is current Mayor Eric Adams, but even he, if was to be elected in NYC, had to be seen as antagonistic to “the far right” conservative Christians. This was not just mere rhetoric.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running for NYC mayor as an independent, once pronounced publicly that New York was closed to Republicans and Bible-believing Christians. With great relish, while governor of New York, he signed one of the worst pro-abortion legislations in the country in the middle of the New York legislature while laughing and scowling at Catholic and Evangelical legislators who walked out of the proceedings. With great gusto, whatever the LGBTQ wanted to peddle, he supported it loudly. When the COVID-19 shutdown happened in 2020, he walked lock and step with Anthony Fauci’s policies… and became responsible for the deaths of 15,000 people in nursing homes and hospitals. When Samaritan’s Purse came in to help in the crisis by setting up a major triage operation in Central Park across the street from New York’s largest hospital, a help that the city needed and many officials later lauded, Cuomo along with former Mayor Bill de Blassio charged an out of state tax on the “Christian fundamentalist” charity. Evangelist Franklin Graham (head of Samaritan’s Purse) paid the tax without protest. If any of the Christian church leaders or community in New York City decried any of this, it certainly was not reported.
If Mamdani is elected, will it change anything for the better in New York? No. But it will make life infinitely worse. And what’s worse, as we say in the south, the people will get not only what they elected, but what they deserve!
There are “Christian” leaders and Jewish rabbis who are extending their support for Mamdani, just as they did with the other democrats in the past. And once again they do so by presenting what the Apostle Paul called a “different Jesus.” Mamdani tries to present a different face of Islam, but that is near impossible especially in New York City where in 2023 and 2024, there were campus riots, protests, threats, and intimidation openly directed at Jewish students and faculty. But that does not prevent the woke left from continuing with the hybrid lie of “Tashlan.” Why? The reason is the same not only for politicians but also for many in the religious world, particularly in the “church world.” For convenience. Not at all for Truth.
And just as the Lord Jesus said, it is the Truth that makes us free. That said, what do Lies make us? Dare I state the obvious cases? The Covid-19 shutdown and vaccine mandates. The Climate Change alarmism - not one prediction has been right in the last 50 years but that did not stop the congresses, parliaments, and legislatures from making ridiculous policies based on those lies, which ended up costing ordinary people and crippling small and average size businesses all throughout this nation and around the world. The LGBTQ ideology and push into the public sphere which has caused one tragedy after another, and which has divulged into the trans push with the state of California passing legislation what effectively destroys parental rights over their children. Does anyone feel freer? The list goes on and on.
For all practical purposes the Church remained silent when we should have spoken boldly. It is debatable whether Church people were fooled, complacent, or complicit. Or perhaps a mixture of all three. I’ve written on this topic before so let me not be redundant with the details.
We are far gone from the days in which politicians were judged by the voting public by their church attendance, even if there was a chance it was only a pretension. Alexis de Tocqueville (a historian, philosopher, and French diplomat who traveled in the United States in the 1830s) once said, “Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
He further went on to say about Democracy and Socialism: “Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.”
Why would the people of New York City come to a situation in which both of these observations of Tocqueville would be equally valid? I can answer that question by sharing the case of a relative of mine who lives there. Some years ago, this particular relation came with his family here to Dallas. This was someone from my generation of Asian Indians (meaning first generation Americans) whose parents came to this nation in different circumstances, and with much different priorities. The average testimony of most Indians in our parents’ generation was that they came to this nation with $8.00 in their pocket and barely any knowledge of English. Beside working any type of job to survive in this nation, there was a drive to worship God in Spirit and in Truth, at least for many in the beginning. That was the story of those of us who are Pentecostals, or from that background.
When my relative came to Dallas, it was during the time of our General Convention and VBS. I went to visit them and invite them and their children for both events but ended up being rebuffed in one of the most annoying ways possible. In a very sanctimonious tone, they let it be known that priorities had changed. The kids’ religious upbringing and discipline was not a major concern, and as to my relations… the husband told me that he went to church on Sundays and most of the time he was holding the younger child outside. He was considered by the pastor of his church as one of the most influential members of the younger generation, but what that meant (my relation explained to me) was that the only way that man could get their younger generation involved was by projects and activities in which he would contact my relative (whom I consider spiritually bankrupt) who would be active in fund raising as well as carrying out plans to their fruition. But as to any spiritual growth or hearing the Word of God… this ‘boy’ was clueless. Is it any wonder that their children found their moral, cultural, political, and spiritual ideas and ideals from infidels in colleges. As Jesus said, it was an example of the Blind leading the Blind.
If this is the story of most of the Indians of my generation, then they deserve Mamdani. And it is not just for the arrogance of financial success. But also, for the type of spiritual negligence that God decried in Ezekiel 22.
People like my family relations may feel that the only consequences of a Mamdani regime have to do with their finances, and if worse comes to happen, they can always move to Long Island, or even New Jersey. They never once ever gave a thought of the times and seasons in which they were living, and the changes that were happening in the old town. Our people were financially the most successful and spiritually the most bankrupt, so bankrupt as to accept any and every lie (especially those with regards to the Truth of the Bible) for the sake of convenience, caring not one whit about the consequences or even more importantly, the judgement of God.
The situation in the Last Battle changed not just with the appearance Tash the Inexorable which terrified everyone, especially the Calormenes, but also the return of Aslan, and this was the benefit of the “faithful” – those who had remained true to him. They had the power to resist in the darkness of the ‘last night of Narnia’ until that world ended – or rather, as Aslan closed the door to Old Narnia. As Erika Kirk put it some weeks ago when her husband was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump: “To live free is the greatest blessing but to die free is the greatest victory.” And that victory only comes in the Person, in the Truth, in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
If there is anyone in New York, California, Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, or anywhere else that is afraid of the hopeless situation of the local politics, I pray that you will feel the power and presence of God in this message, and pray for revival in yourself first of all, and then in your local church, and then the local churches, and then your towns and cities. Unless you have that kind of prayer effort and move of the Holy Spirit, situations will not change in these places! Charlie Kirk once said that we now have a Christian nation with a Christian type government but run by ungodly people who are not Christian, nor do they come from Christian lands, and there lies our problem. Such people can and will turn this nation into what Shift the Ape did to Narnia! The Lord will give you the Power to resist the enemy, and the gates of hell will not prevail! There will be signs and wonders in heaven and earth as the Holy Spirit is poured out anew on the Church. And I pray it will be so.