Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things - trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia." Puddleglum the Marshwiggle in The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis

 I love truth. I love discovering new truths, hearing further evidences of truth, and being refreshed by reminders of old truths. As a result, this quote has always left me with slightly mixed reactions. I know that God is real and the 'world' that I see as a Christian is real, but the concept of, 'what if it wasn't?' leads to the natural reaction of wanting to discover what truth really is.

The fact remains however that, just as Puddleglum, Eustace, Jill and Prince Rillian realized, the God, the Creator that we serve and live for is beyond imagination. Puddleglum didn't cave in to the witch's hypnotic magic because he kept sight of something far greater. His protest was not a blind, head-in-the-sand stubbornness not to admit defeat. It was the realization that God is so incredible and awesome that He's worth living for, in spite of evidence to the contrary. We're incapable of creating anything/anyone nearly so magestic and worthy.

The only worlds that we can create, the only supposed "truth" we can fabricate on our own is like the Underworld - a dark, dismal place where no natural light shines through. There is a roof constantly above our heads, stone walls always surrounding us. Elements of the 'real world' are there (lakes, some plant life, houses, ships, strange creatures), but upon closer inspection they only point that there must be something more, something better, beyond sight and beyond grasp.

That's why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."

The fact that there IS a real 'Aslan' and IS a real 'Narnia' means that we can have a relationship with God (through Jesus Christ) and the promise of an eternity with Him. He provides peace to our hearts and comfort and encouragement to our souls. Even without that, however, walking according to the principles that Jesus laid out while on earth means that our life here is more fullfilling and BETTER. We don't have to walk in a cloud of shame or a web of lies. 'Playacting' is obviously not the best or safest path through life - which is why it is critical to acknowledge that Jesus did die to bring us to God, and we need to surrounder our lives and choices to Him - but even playacting is better then completely forgetting that such a place exists. And, as Puddleglum realized, it's worth sacrificing to keep it - even at the cost of bringing pain to ourself and having to fight against the evil that holds us captive.