For those of you who have yet to read the final book in J.K. Rowling's series, I promise not to give away anything! But it is an incredible book! I couldn't put it down after I started reading it!
Someone once asked me what I thought about Harry Potter. I believe she was surprised that I was reading these books. After all, I am a minister, and she felt it was inappropriate that I was reading books that featured wizards and witches and magic. I can understand those feelings, but the Harry Potter series is so much more than those things that may appear offensive to some. After all, the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings also contain magical elements, and yet many people champion them as examples of Christian allegory.
Harry Potter, for me, is a story of the triumph of good over evil. And that triumph comes after much perseverance, soul-searching, gut-wrenching loss, and dependence on friends and people who unequivocally love you. Harry's story is filled with angst and pain, but also with joy and laughter and friendship. And aren't our lives filled with many of these same elements? No, we don't have a shared prophecy with Lord Voldemort. We don't have magic wands or spells that will help us to disapparate out of difficult situations, but we all have that daily struggle to keep on believing, to keep trusting, to keep hoping that God and love are there. And ultimately, we have that hope in Jesus Christ, who defeated sin and death, once and for all.
J.K. Rowling has created a masterpiece of an epic tale that is so unbelievably readable. Critics should take note that children all around the world were begging to read a 759 page book. In this age of video games and television that seep into the mind and drain the soul, kids were wanting to stay up all night to read! I, for one, am so happy that an author has been able to capture the attention of children (and adults) with her story of life and love and friendship, the ups and downs, the good and the bad. Now, I can't wait until Elizabeth is old enough to read them, and I hope she loves them. I can't wait to see the world of Harry Potter through her eyes, and I hope she sees the good. Just as in life, I hope we see the good and the promise that evil cannot win.
Someone once asked me what I thought about Harry Potter. I believe she was surprised that I was reading these books. After all, I am a minister, and she felt it was inappropriate that I was reading books that featured wizards and witches and magic. I can understand those feelings, but the Harry Potter series is so much more than those things that may appear offensive to some. After all, the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings also contain magical elements, and yet many people champion them as examples of Christian allegory.
Harry Potter, for me, is a story of the triumph of good over evil. And that triumph comes after much perseverance, soul-searching, gut-wrenching loss, and dependence on friends and people who unequivocally love you. Harry's story is filled with angst and pain, but also with joy and laughter and friendship. And aren't our lives filled with many of these same elements? No, we don't have a shared prophecy with Lord Voldemort. We don't have magic wands or spells that will help us to disapparate out of difficult situations, but we all have that daily struggle to keep on believing, to keep trusting, to keep hoping that God and love are there. And ultimately, we have that hope in Jesus Christ, who defeated sin and death, once and for all.
J.K. Rowling has created a masterpiece of an epic tale that is so unbelievably readable. Critics should take note that children all around the world were begging to read a 759 page book. In this age of video games and television that seep into the mind and drain the soul, kids were wanting to stay up all night to read! I, for one, am so happy that an author has been able to capture the attention of children (and adults) with her story of life and love and friendship, the ups and downs, the good and the bad. Now, I can't wait until Elizabeth is old enough to read them, and I hope she loves them. I can't wait to see the world of Harry Potter through her eyes, and I hope she sees the good. Just as in life, I hope we see the good and the promise that evil cannot win.
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