♥ Part II: The Truth about Harry (Potter)
When the first Harry Potter book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone first came out, I ignored it. I wasn’t going to fall prey to smaltzy new fiction that roused my crew to a frenzy. I also didn’t want to get involved in a lot of the issues that grated against my values. I was unwilling to discover the truth about Harry.
One Sunday in our fifth and sixth grade Sunday school class, the children’s leadership talked about J.K. Rowling’s book to the kids, carefully explaining and listing content that conflicted with our beliefs. They discouraged reading the books. We are a fairly large church with a fairly large class. We also had a lot of “Van” kids that we picked up and brought to church. Typically, after 6th grade, you go to “Big” church. However, some of the older van kids just came to our class.
The next Sunday, when all the kids rolled in, one of the van kids, instead of bringing a bible, brought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. He was probably an 8th grader or a freshman in high school. He was making a statement. However, what that statement was, I couldn’t tell you then because I hadn’t read the book, didn’t know what was in it.
To me, it was a scream out about something. I kept hearing how boys were reading it, lots of boys. Boys who wouldn’t read anything else were reading this book that was causing a ruckus in a lot of churches.
That scene niggled in the back of my head until I finally read the first book about a year later. Yes, I can be stubborn before I move into action at times.
First, you must understand that I am a advocate of breaking and preventing cycles of dysfunction. In 2000, I wrote a program Standing at the Crossroads, “designed to show youths the ways God has provided deliverance from dysfunctional relationships and divorce through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a commitment to the lifestyle outlined for us in the Bible, how to “pray the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man” in order to change their personal circumstances and the circumstances of their future, how to set healthy boundaries at appropriate age levels, recognize the gifts within, and open their eyes to the world beyond their dysfunction.”
In 2004, I read another book, To Tell the Truth. I stole it off my son, who was reading it as part of leadership training in a Young Life Program. There was a section that talked about the need to lay a basic foundation to youth because too many youths today were not raised in church, did not know anything about God, what salvation meant, what heaven was like, or what a Godly father was like. As a result, you had to really break it down. Imagine saying to a teenager, “Hey, after you die, do you want to go to hell or spend heaven with my Father, God?” Well, when your own father beats you, then maybe hell is a better option. You need to get beyond, dig beneath church language, a language of which many kids don’t know the definition, and make it real.
I finally read the book to see what was pulling so many boys into its pages. I discovered why children of all ages loved that book, what all children’s ministries should teach, to all children and youth—How could a book’s plot wrapped in witchcraft teach a Christian about the mission field filled with. . . . children.
Let me tell you about Harry:
1) He’s an orphan. He thinks nobody cares about him. People treat him really poorly. However, even though he doesn’t realize it at first, there are people watching over him, protecting him, making sure he’s o.k.
2) He doesn’t fit in. He does peculiar things that set him a part. To him, it’s a negative thing.
3) He meets someone with authority who wants to mentor him, teach him to be more than he thought he was.
4) He discovers a special language.
5) He discovers along the way that he has special gifts. There are people in his life who want to nurture those special gifts.
6) He also finds friends who lift him up when he gets down; they’ve got his back.
7) Though not all his peers like or respect him, many do, looking to him eventually for leadership.
Eight) When he breaks rules, he’s not emotionally squashed, but is forgiven, oftentimes. There are times when he has detention, so he is reigned in, accepts that he must do right more often than naught. He constantly thinks he’s going to be thrown out of this wonderful place he’s found, but comes to understand that he won’t be.
Most of you who read this probably spent the day mentoring, protecting, developing your children’s gifts, encouraging and praying for friends who lift your children up when they fall down, struggling to discipline without breaking the spirit.
However, not all children are so fortunate. God’s law tells us to not take advantage of widows or orphans (Exodus 22:22). Ezekial admonishes those who oppress the orphans (Ezekiel 22:7). I think that children of divorce fall under the label “orphans” at times. They are fatherless, sometimes motherless, lacking the covering of protection that comes to families in a covenant relationship with God. Oftentimes, children of divorce are the forgotten casualties of divorce, remembered often as a statistical failure.
I was one of those children. I grew up without the covering of that protection that a Godly father provides. My mom did a great job; however, that special covering was missing.
Rowlins created a book that answered to the cry—for the span of a few days or how long it took to read one book, they went into a world that offered everything they wanted in life. As a child, I craved those very same things.
However, Harry is not real. When the book is finished, so is the hope, the rush of that hope.
But there’s a personal, very real version available to every child, youth, or adult. There is someone very real looking out for you (Psalm 139), who knows every thought, every dream, every hope within. God the Father created the plan, his son, Jesus, is there too, helping, encouraging, delivering. Then there’s the Holy Spirit, which gives supernatural power to situations.
God also placed special gifts within each of us. Discover yours! He even gave each of us a special language, except this is a love language.
Oh, and God gives the best of friends. They’ll never let you down. We just have to learn to look, maybe in different places.
There are all types of leaders in the world. The Big Leader who was born to handle tremendous responsibilities and pressures, leading all the middle leaders and little leaders. However, even the littlest leader can change the life of one or two people. Isn’t changing the life of one person the biggest job of all? I myself am a littler leader. I am great at supporting the bigger leaders, but I’m definitely not one of the big ones.
And you know, when I fail, when I miss it, I’m not emotionally or spiritually squashed. There are people who will continue to try to smash you flatter than a frog under a tire, but not God, not the mentors He puts in your path.
We’re called to be a peculiar people (Deut. 14:2). My oldest son came home one day. He was in college. He pointed this out—that we’re a peculiar family. However, there’s something special in that peculiarity—a life filled with peculiarly beautiful blessings and peculiarly beautiful tasks, and some pretty tough stuff that requires peculiar handling (a discussion for another day).
I am not saying we should stuff a Rowling’s book in every child’s hand. It’s like cotton candy, a momentarily yummy taste that evaporates leaving nothing of substance in the stomach.
I am saying that within the pages of Rowling’s book we can define the need of a lot of children out there and and better fulfill those needs because they are defined. Step up to the task of mentoring, being a spiritual father or mother, teaching children, besides our own, about the wonderful things in them that God put there and the exciting plans He has for their lives. We can build hope on something real and true! We need to do the job of reaching our youth better or as well as as Rowlings does with her fantasy literature. We’ve got the real thing: God!
A wonderful post! You’ve eloquently explained why Harry Potter is so popular. As a longtime Christian (and an adult child of divorce, BTW) I admit, I’ve steered clear of this series. Planning to tweet your post. My DH will appreciate your thoughts as well.
Thanks for leaving such sweet comments on my creative writing blog, “Chrysalis Press.” I spend most of my time at “Chrysalis” so it was good of you to stop by over there.
Have a blessed weekend!
Hugs, e-Mom :~D
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That was a beautiful piece of writing, and full of truth. I love how God makes truth accessible in all sorts of unlikely places to start drawing people to him who might not otherwise be able to come.
AMEN!!!Thank God there are Mommies like you out there. Our kids really need help staying on track in this crazy world!
PS Please hop over and leave a comment to help with this contest I’m in(ends midnight today)- http://energizerbunnysmommyreports.blogspot.com/2009/07/top-10-reasons-i-am-excited-to-stay.html
This is a great post and a great objective assessment of Harry Potters, not just for what the story lines is but more importantly for the lessons they teach. I too was a little late getting into the books and movies but once I did i enjoyed them and even more what they do for youth.
Firstly, I just love your header pic. Your blog name evokes fresh memories. And I’ve never read HP, but a book I did like (your post below made me think of it) was Finding God in The Lord of the Rings. Made me look at the books in ways I hadn’t before.
Great post! BTW, SITS sent me over…and I’m having a giveaway where EVERYBODY wins, so please come on by!
Great post! I think some times people (especially Christians, too often) can bash something before they really know what it is, or what good they could actually derive from it. Thanks for opening some eyes.
wow what a powerful post – I haven’t read the books myself for the same reason. My kids have not seen the movies or read the books either. I can understand why they would be drawn to them after reading your post. Thanks for sharing.
Hi there – that is a fantastic post with a nuanced approach towards pop culture from a Christian perspective.
For the record – i do love those Harry Potter books. Maybe because I’m a young mommy. I just don’t see the link between reading it and taking part in witchcraft (which was the main preposition against reading it)… I hope this doesn’t start a fire but just being brutally honest here!
I remember all the HP-is-evil hype when I was new to Christian circles (about 8 years ago). Never having read the book nor studied the objections against it, I jumped on the bandwagon. I no longer think that HP is necessarily evil. I think there are good things, and if my kids wanted to read them, I probably would let them, with me reading them first and some discussion about the good and the bad things. I think it’s the best way to approach many things…there are problems with everything from Veggie Tales on up, we just need to help our children learn how to be discerning.
If you have books or movies that go against your beliefs, but the society is urging them to read them, I think the perfect solution is to read them together. Talk about what it is in the book that goes against your beliefs. Don’t give the books or movies more power by labeling it so your children are drawn to read it or watch it when you’re not there.
Knowledge is power. Words are powerful. Children can learn to respect differences in opinion, and reject the things that you feel are bad for them.
It’s better that the questions come to YOU, rather than from their friends.
I think this is a very good and informative post on the Harry Potter books. I am so thankful that you took the time to read them and to break down into simple facts, exactly what you found by reading it. In the Christian world, I think it is interesting how quickly rash decisions are made and suddenly become facts. I have sat in on many discussions regarding these books. Yours was the best and most thought through analyalzis. Thank you for sharing this with us. It truly helped me to understand why the Potter craze exists.
What a fabulous post. Living in the Bible Belt, I’ve heard so much about this book series. Personally, I loved the books. And as a former teacher I love anything that gets kids reading…especially books that long and with such advanced vocabulary!! If parents are concerned, they can always read the book *with* their child and have open, frank dialogue. But making it “forbidden fruit” isn’t the most productive or realistic way to approach anything.
Beautifully written! I’m so glad you stopped by my blog!