More On Harry Potter

I am still in the midst of the Harry Potter books. I would like to add some of my observances to what I have already generally stated concerning this series of books and movies in another recent post. I will point out some of the many Christian parallels I have noted as well as offer some practical advice about introducing a child to Harry Potter. Be warned, if you don't like to know the story before you read it, I have included some general facts about the series to point out the parallels previously mentioned, but nothing too specific and nothing from the later books, which I haven't even read yet.

I opened to the first page and began to read. Almost immediately I was surprised by the content, which is refreshingly well written. First of all, I was not shocked by dark spells and magic that spoke of the true aspects of sorcery and witchcraft. In fact, I was hard pressed to find anything (portrayed in a positive light) that Christians have been so hard on Harry for. I was also surprised at what I did find. A boy who has been given a special gift of powers by the parents he never knew. A mother sacrificing her life for her baby boy, thus rendering him immune to the evil of the Satan figure, Voldemort, who was trying to kill him. Immediately I thought of Jesus as I considered Lily Potter. Harry had been granted life because of what his mother gave up. Love defeated evil.

Harry, imprisoned within a family that has treated him horribly, made to believe he was nothing, suddenly receives an invitation. An invitation to be part of a community he didn't even know existed. The community of his parents, the community of magic. With nothing else to look forward to, and sudden hope that life is not meant to be what Harry has so far experienced, he readily accepts the help he needs to get to Hogwarts School. I thought of the Holy Spirit, aiding a new believer as they set up their life that will be centered on Christ.

Harry quickly realizes that his problems aren't over, even as the believer's struggle continues after conversion. His frequent rule breaking and childish behavior also make it quite clear that Harry still has a long way to go in his journey. As do we. Believers who think they have arrived are incredibly disillusioned.

But Harry is not expelled by the head of Hogwarts, Dumbledore, even when the dark forces within and without cry for his removal. He is punished, frequently, yet lovingly by the teachers and by Dumbledore. He forms friendships with Ron and Hermoine, and together they grow in knowledge and develop emotionally.

But the dark forces continue to get stronger. Those who would have the world free of such a positive example as Harry Potter seek to destroy him. Harry realizes that within him a war rages, the war between good and evil. He is troubled that it does not come easily to choose right over wrong, and that temptation for evil sometimes overcomes him. But aided by his friends, his protectors, and his teachers, and most often by Dumbledore himself, Harry continues to strain toward good, and fight the evil that would threaten them all. He continues himself to increase in power as he does so.

This is as far as I have come in the series. I am excited to find out what happens! And I challenge Christians not to fear Harry Potter. It is unfortunate that J.K. Rowling used some of the vernacular she did to describe the world Harry lives in, but it really is not what the story is about.

Some practical advice when considering Harry Potter's involvement in your own family. Children reading the books ideally should not be any younger than the characters themselves (the first one starting at the age of 11, the last one, 17.) As the children become teenagers and enter adolescence, their experiences become more intense and at times scary. Parents should keep a dialog going as a child moves through the series, pointing out the parallels to the Bible and discussing the occasional questionable material.

All in all, Harry is a useful addition to a believer's library, if handled correctly. And if you can't bring yourself to read him, don't make any judgments. God can be found in the most unexpected places, and our ways are not His ways. I truly believe that if we limit ourselves and our children to literature that only portrays simple and easy themes, we set ourselves up to be unprepared to face the world we live in, the faith we cling to, and the realities of good and evil.

Give the famous Harry Potter a chance. You might be surprised what you find!