AGain, to some of you Harry Potter is childish. To my more evangelical friends, you believe it is blasphemy. If anything, in looking back at the stories especially conceived in the films, I have gained more an understanding of my faith & its challenges. Witchcraft & wizards is not what this is about! Heck, even Lord of the Rings had the wizard Gandalf, a character written by J.R.R. Tolkien who brought C.S. Lewis to the side of Christianity & would in turn write the beloved Chronicles of Narnia saga.
HOw do we relate the stories of what is happening in today’s world? Myths and legends have been told through various means. Joseph Campbell’s books on myths are a great study on how we tell the stories of life’s struggles between Good & Evil.
Harry Potter has shown me that we struggle with both of those inside us. That scar on his forehead is like a symbol of some sort of original sin that we need to be saved from. Redemption in the end is brought on by lots of sacrifices & loss. Harry lost his parents & even a godfather he loved so well like a father. I too have felt such emotional losses, & yet through not only Harry’s example to fight for what is right, Jesus shows us that we must fight for what is right even if it may make us different or force us to change our life!
The Griffyndor sword as mentioned in the series reminds me of how scripture is often referred to as our own sword in our armor used in spiritual warfare. The Sword of the Spirit is one we must always carry with us to defend ourselves from feeling sorry for ourselves. For allowing hurt feelings to crowd our hearts. In turn, it should cut through the vines that block understanding & love & forgiveness.
Right now, life has taken an unexpected turn. J.K. Rowling herself attributed the creation of The Dementors, creatures that take away all our happiness & feeling, based on her own experience with clinical depression. It is in this that I see how she has gained some understanding of spiritual warfare, though she might not distinctly call it that. It shows us that we all have demons to keep us from being happy. Whether we choose to surrender to the negative effects or fight, as does Harry in his adventure against Voldemort or in Jesus’ sacrifice against the Enemy’s plan to keep stronghold’s against our souls, is a constant battle.
This reminds me of a quote in the film version of Order of the Phoenix:
Luna Lovegood: [about her father] We believe you, by the way. That He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back, and you fought him, and the Ministry and the Prophet are conspiring against you and Dumbledore. Believing you’re alone is a lie that the enemy wishes you to believe. You are NOT alone. You only have to reach out. It is often the fear that we believe we are alone that prevents us from moving forward. If we can hope in what is right, what is Good, our paths will not lead us astray.
Harry Potter: Thanks. Seems you’re about the only ones that do.
Luna Lovegood: I don’t think that’s true. But I suppose that’s how he wants you to feel.
Harry Potter: What do you mean?
Luna Lovegood: Well if I were You-Know-Who, I’d want you to feel cut off from everyone else. Because if it’s just you alone you’re not as much of a threat.
