I firmly believe that there are no coincidences. Take today for example. Today is Good Friday, a day that commemorates Jesus's death and sacrifice. Good Friday looks towards Easter, the resurrection, the Gospel truth that we can be freed from death and sin. It's a beautiful story, a true story.
Most people know about Jesus, but you might not have heard of Ambrose, also know as Flycatcher or the Frog Prince. Now, this may be an English major thing, but when I read I am constantly on the lookout for archetypes, and it is no surprise that the fairy tales or fables that surround us are full of archetypes. One famous archetype that gets brought up a lot in my Covenant literature classes is the Christ figure. Well, in my opinion, Ambrose the King of Haven (in the graphic novel Fables: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham) is a Christ Figure. He is pure, in body and heart, and he forms his peaceful kingdom on this purity. Ambrose's kingdom is in the heart of the evil Adversary's territory, but Ambrose is determined to wage a bloodless war against the Adversary--and he succeeds. So, this pure king sets out with his message of love and forgiveness and faces evil head on. Sound like someone? But it gets better. Ambrose goes forward, surrenders himself to death in order to preserve his kingdom. He does not die, but he is willing to, and in the end, salvation begins to work its way into the Adversary's lands as more people hear the good news about Ambrose's kingdom (Haven) and set out to join him.
Sounds like a Christ figure to me. I don't know if Willingham wrote the story with any intention of such a parallel, but there you go. Even if you're not a Christian, The Good Prince is still a good read (as is the rest of the Fables series) and Mark Buckingham continues in his excellence as an illustrator.
Good Friday and The Good Prince equals a Good Day.
Most people know about Jesus, but you might not have heard of Ambrose, also know as Flycatcher or the Frog Prince. Now, this may be an English major thing, but when I read I am constantly on the lookout for archetypes, and it is no surprise that the fairy tales or fables that surround us are full of archetypes. One famous archetype that gets brought up a lot in my Covenant literature classes is the Christ figure. Well, in my opinion, Ambrose the King of Haven (in the graphic novel Fables: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham) is a Christ Figure. He is pure, in body and heart, and he forms his peaceful kingdom on this purity. Ambrose's kingdom is in the heart of the evil Adversary's territory, but Ambrose is determined to wage a bloodless war against the Adversary--and he succeeds. So, this pure king sets out with his message of love and forgiveness and faces evil head on. Sound like someone? But it gets better. Ambrose goes forward, surrenders himself to death in order to preserve his kingdom. He does not die, but he is willing to, and in the end, salvation begins to work its way into the Adversary's lands as more people hear the good news about Ambrose's kingdom (Haven) and set out to join him.
Sounds like a Christ figure to me. I don't know if Willingham wrote the story with any intention of such a parallel, but there you go. Even if you're not a Christian, The Good Prince is still a good read (as is the rest of the Fables series) and Mark Buckingham continues in his excellence as an illustrator.
Good Friday and The Good Prince equals a Good Day.
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