Harry Potter and Choice

One common motif throughout the Harry Potter series is the holding out of hope that people can change, that even the worst people can do good. Like Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings who tells Frodo that he believes Gollum may still have some good use left in him before it’s all over, many of even the worst characters have moments of redemption in Harry Potter. This is no better revealed than through the life of Snape, who years before, had a part in the rise of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. And though many people did not trust him, Dumbledore did through and through, and when all was said and done it was revealed that he truly was on the side of good and, as Harry says to his son, Albus Severus, in the epilogue, he “was probably the bravest man I ever knew” (758).

There are countless other smaller examples. For instance, when Hermione, Ron, and Harry are taken captive and brought to Malfoy Manor, Draco is hesitant to admit to their identities. Of course, Harry is hard to recognize because of a Sting Charm, but Hermione would not have been difficult at all. Then, there is Peter Pettigrew, who showed one “tiny, merciful impulse” (470) while strangling Harry that led to his own demise. There are also the goblins, who are not concerned with wizarding wars, but some of them come to Harry’s aid after all.

Examples abound during the final battles at Hogwarts. Percy, the “ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron” (606) returns to fight alongside his family. And Crabbe, though intending to terminate Ron, destroyed one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes instead (and himself). After everyone believes Harry to be dead, Bane and the other Centaurs, who have stayed out of the situation up til this point, leave the safety of the forest and attack Voldemort and his men. Kreacher, the mongrelly house-elf devoted to the Slytherins, leads an army of house-elves in attack of the Death Eaters as well. And the Malfoys reveal they are far more concerned with the safety and well-being of their son than fighting for Voldemort.

Hope is even held out for Voldemort himself. Even he is offered forgiveness in light of all he has done and the looming judgment ahead of him for it. Just before the final duel, Harry pipes up: “But before you try to kill me, I’d advise you think about what you’ve done… Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle... It’s your one last chance, it’s all you’ve got left… I’ve seen what you’ll be otherwise… Be a man… try… Try for some remorse…” (741).

The upshot of this is that a message of love - which is primarily what the series is about - will always entail a message of hope, forgiveness, reconciliation, and regard even for one's enemies. The world is not as black and white as we would hope it to be. Harry finds out that his father was not the perfect wizard of his memories, but rather, was a man who picked on others, played dirty tricks, and regularly broke school rules in his younger days. And even the highly esteemed Albus Dumbledore turns out to have some flaws in his character. This is reality: The good show moments of moral failure and the evil can show shining moments of virtue.

By having a realistic view of the world, though however much we may detest our enemies, we can still believe they can change, still hold out an offer for reconciliation, still be aware that if it were not for some other combination of circumstances I too may have taken the wrong path. This is a powerful message that all of us would be better off to take to heart. Do we offer reconciliation even to our worst enemies? Even more, do we believe that to show remorse and contrition to be the manly thing to do, or are we so full of ourselves that we believe the person who doesn't back down from his position, doesn't own up for his misdeeds is the stronger person? Here too we see one of the Kingdom messages that the Potter series is trying to reveal: often times strength and power - real power - is in the most unlikely of places. The Kingdom of God sees the world upside-down to the economy of our day to day comparisons and strivings for success and greatness.

Redemptive Analogies in Harry Potter

I would like to focus on the messianic nature of the story line the Deathly Hallows which is noted throughout the series but becomes ever more clear in the last book. [SPOILER ALERT – I WILL BE MENTIONING VERY DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAST BOOK, SO IF YOU DON’T WANT THE END RUINED, DON’T KEEP READING!]

Let us begin with Harry Potter. Even the name – like most of the names in the series – carries important significance. “Harry” in England, is about the most mundane, normal name one could possible have (much like Joshua, James, and Jesus were back in Israel about 2000 years ago). He is “the Potter” (cf. Isa. 64:8), “the Chosen One” (e.g., the Messiah). While the names in the series also reveal Rowling’s expertise in ancient Greek mythology (Regulus, Remus, Sirius, Romulus, Arcturus – all names of stars), creativity (Kreacher the house-elf is a “creature”), and use of other languages (“Xenophilus” which means “lover of strangers” in Greek, is the name of a man who is obsessed with odd and strange things), other Christian names are evident. For instance, Sirius Black’s three friends are James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus John Lupin – the three disciples who spent the most time with Jesus. And then there is one of Harry’s roommates, Dean Thomas, who, consequentially, doubts Harry throughout a good portion of the series until we hear his testimony of faith in the forest – “I know Harry Potter. And I reckon he’s the real thing – the Chosen One, or whatever you want to call it” (Deathly Hallows, 299). Then there are the names of Harry’s archenemies (besides Voldemort), the Malfoys, which refer to Satan (Lucius = Lucifer; Draco = Dragon, cf, Rev. 12; Scorpius =scorpions, cf. Luke 10:18-19).

At the outset of Deathly Hallows, the evil Lord Voldemort is on his way to effectively becoming the Prince of the entire wizard world (cf. John 16:11), lurking behind the scenes while he uses people as puppets to achieve his evil ends. As part of his effort to create a pure-blood wizarding world, Voldemort – who is only half-blood himself, creates a “Muggle-born Registration Commission” in which all Muggle-born wizards must reveal themselves and confess that they had stolen their wizarding powers – a scene that, no doubt, purposefully conjures up images of Nazi Germany and the desire to wipe out the Jews by Hitler (who was not a full “Arian” himself!).

Harry, Ron, and Hermione then set out on their “quest” (akin to a knight’s quest? Pilgrim’s Progress?) to defeat Voldemort by destroying Horcruxes, items in which the Lord has encased a slice of his soul in order to obtain immortality. The story is not only redemptive as a general analogy of the fight between good and evil; rather, Rowling becomes quite overt in her use of religious language and metaphor at times. In one chapter, Harry and Hermione head to Godric’s Hollow, the location of Harry’s childhood where Voldemort killed his parents and the cemetery where his parents are now buried. They arrive on Christmas Eve as Muggles (non-magical people) are singing Christmas carols in a nearby church (one of numerous references to Christmas and singing carols throughout the series). In the cemetery, they find the tombstone of Ariana Dumbledore (Albus’ sister) with the epitaph: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (cf. Matt. 6:21) – one of the most overt references to Scripture in the book. Moments later, Harry and Hermione come to the tombs of James & Lily Potter, inscribed with the following verbatim quotation from Scripture: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (cf. 1 Cor. 15:26).

For the reader of the Bible, the context of 1 Corinthians 15 makes it quite obvious where the rest of the book is headed, but it is not quite as clear to Harry. Harry takes these words to heart, knowing them to have important meaning but unsure completely of their depth. “It means…you know…living beyond death. Living after death” (DH, 328). Harry is not completely sure of this answer, as he thinks of the fact that his parents are still buried before him. A more complete meaning of this statement, however, is yet to come. Harry continues to peruse this phrase throughout the rest of the story. At the home of Xenophilius Lovegood, they are told about three objects that would make one “master of Death.” One item is a “Resurrection Stone” that will enable one to bring people back from the dead – but while they return to life they suffer as they do not “truly belong” in the mortal world (409). This reminds Harry of the time he fought Voldemort earlier, and when their wands connected, it seemingly brought Cedric Diggory, his parents, and others back to life – but still, they were “pale imitations” (427) [think: “Now we see but a poor reflection…” (1 Cor. 13:12)]. Despite the limitations, he wondered if these items were what he needed to defeat Voldemort and believed this to be the answer to the riddle on his parents epitaph. That must be it: to master the power of the Hallows in order to overcome the power of Voldemort and his Horcruxes.

However, this is not to be the case. In the pensieve, as Harry relives Snape’s memories after he has perished, he is brought face to face with a conversation with Dumbledore and Snape that details what must happen. When Voldemort killed Harry’s mother, “the Killing Curse rebounded upon Lord Voldemort, and a fragment of Voldemort’s soul was blasted apart from the whole, and latched itself onto the only living soul left in the collapsed building” – it went into the baby, Harry (686). The innocent baby took upon himself the evil of Lord Voldemort (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21), and if Voldemort is to be completely destroyed, Harry must die was well. And it must be at the hand of Voldemort. In effect, Evil must vanquish Good, but in reality, while doing it, it will be destroying itself instead [Quite an interesting concept of Atonement that is worth being explored, I might add].

At last, everything about his life is extremely clear. He knows his destiny and knows what must be done. He is one “who had already been marked for slaughter” (693, cf. Isa. 53:7). Finally, the time comes to face Voldemort. Harry heads into the dark forest (the Garden of Gethsemane?), under the power of his Cloak of Invisibility and the golden Snitch Dumbledore had left him in his will. Then it dawns on him: the Resurrection Stone is inside the Snitch. As he utilizes the stone, those he most admires who have gone before him come back “neither ghost nor truly flesh” (698): his parents, Sirius, and Lupin. It is this “cloud of witness” (Heb. 12:1) that will walk with him into the forest to the place where he must meet Voldemort. They walk with him as sources of encouragement, and with all his friends at Hogwarts on his mind. But he knows they will offer no power in defeating Voldemort. The last enemy is death, and he himself must face it.

As Harry approaches Voldemort, the Stone slips from his fingers, his encouragers vanish, and he is forced to face his death alone. His wand still in his robe, he stands before Voldemort without even putting up a fight (cf. Matt 26:52-54). And then it happens: “A flash of green light, and everything was gone” (704).

Harry wakes up to find himself in something of a dream world. There on the floor is the piece of Voldemort’s soul, shriveling and dying. And there is Dumbledore is there too. He looks around and finds he happens to be at King’s Cross, the name of the London train station where he would go to catch the Hogwart’s Express at the beginning of each school year. Metaphorically, “taking the train” is symbolic of going down the tunnel of the afterlife. The picture is also symbolic that the end of Harry’s magical life is connected with his beginning. Yet, I can’t help but notice that “King’s Cross” – the King of kings’ Cross” is an apt name to be associated with a sacrificial death.

Harry asks Dumbledore if he’s dead. “On the whole, dear boy, I think not,” replied Dumbledore (707). Harry exclaims: “But I should have died – I didn’t defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!” “And that,” said Dumbledore, “will, I think, have made all the difference.” Harry, being “obedient to death” (Phil. 2:8) . Harry’s sacrificial death made it so that when Voldemort struck him with a Killing Curse, it was not Harry, but Voldemort’s own sliver of soul in Harry, that dies.

Harry comes back to life – a true resurrection as compared to those brought back by the Resurrection Stone. However, he fakes dead for some time. Voldemort’s band cheer and celebrate and then head up to Hogwarts with the limp body of Harry Potter. Then, as war breaks out when Neville Longbottom cuts off the head of Voldemort’s snake, Nagini (cf. Gen. 3:15), Harry is able to put on his Invisibility Cloak and remain hidden from everyone.

As the fighting wears on, Harry is more powerful than ever, being able to create Shield Charms that stretch across an entire hall to protect people from Voldemort’s curses. Those for whom Harry has died cannot be touched by the power of Voldemort. “Don’t you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people. I meant to, and that’s what did it…They’re protected from you. Haven’t you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? … You can’t touch them” (738). This scene seems very familiar to the words of Jesus: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own accord… My sheep listen to my voice…no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:10, 18, 27-28).

I’m sure, after a closer read, much more could be said, but this is clearly enough to show that the Harry Potter series is a wonderful and powerful story that speaks to the reality of our lives, the beauty of the gospel, and our need for redemption… More on these thoughts in a later blog…

Harry Potter Saved My Soul

I have just finished reading the Harry Potter series (actually, I’ve read books 2-7 all in the last two months!), and I must say that I am quite disappointed with the conservative Christian community. And I hope they’re feeling a bit ashamed of themselves of making such a big deal of the magic and sorcery mentioned in the Harry Potter series (as if Rowling was trying to use a children’s book to promote Wicca) now that the final book in the series has revealed has revealed it to be perhaps the most redemptive, Christocentric series since the Chronicles of Narnia.

This, of course, should come as no surprise given that Rowling professes a love for the Inklings – that group of friends that included none other than C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and others (In fact, Rowling pays tribute to Lewis in the series, naming two of her characters “Cedric Diggory” and “Andrew Kirke,” both referring to “Digory Kirke,” the old professor from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe who discovered Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew. ..She has, in fact, even talked about her belief in God and her Christianity in some interviews.

If you are reading this, you must also be wondering about the title of this blog. I must be honest: The reading of the Harry Potter series – The Deathly Hallows especially – has been a balm to my soul and has renewed my vigor and love for the gospel story (what C.S. Lewis called a “true myth” and early church father Tertullian said was worth being believed because it was “impossible”). Rowling’s ability to tell a good story while weaving in – without forcing – redemptive metaphor and allegory when it is appropriate has helped me to appreciate again the power of Love, the One who conquered death, and the mythical nature of the grand story we find ourselves in.

There is so much that could be said from an examination of the Harry Potter books. The books address general themes that are not only important for children to ponder but for all of us – notions like love, justice and equality, racism, good versus evil, providence, the corruptive nature of power, ethical tensions (e.g. – should one lie if it will prevent the death of other people?), the importance of friendship and commitment, bravery and courage, the value of having a place called home, the importance of family and parents, and the truth that those who are considered nobodies in the world’s eyes are capable of doing amazing things.

So without further ado, the next several blogs will most likely deal with Harry Potter in some fashion of literary analysis…

The Humor of Big Business

So yesterday, we received our final bill from AT&T for our home in Indianapolis. I must confess, I certainly did laugh. Take a look...

Now, one must ask...is it really worth the cost of postage, paper, and processing for them to try to receive one penny from me? And is it really worth a check and 39 cents on my part to mail this back to them?! It's hard to take seriously the auto-generated "We'll miss you! Thanks for being a loyal customer" comment in the bill when they're trying to get back one cent... Not to mention the fact that I know it'll be sent to a collection agency if I don't pay it! Well... at least the envelope's recyclable - that's gotta count for something, right?

GO Cubs!!

Last Saturday night, we went to the PNC park to enjoy a beautiful night of baseball as the Cubs (who are tied for the lead in their division right now!) beat the Pirates! Although I can't say much for the seats we got (except that they were cheap - and we found free parking within a few minutes walk!), it did offer a really awesome view of the Pittsburgh skyline (which, I must admit, is a lot better than Indianapolis'). Thought you'd enjoy...

Moving Memories

For those who helped us move, we wanted to send out a huge "THANKS!" Here are a couple pictures Amber's parents took on the big day. I guess it is fitting that we finally write about it now as we the closing on our house in Indy was just this past Friday (no we didn't go back for it) and we got the official paperwork (and check - woohoo!!) in the mail today. We're certainly happy to get that hefty load off our shoulders (although we're still trying to figure out how our neighbors - who we asked to water the grass and flowers for the past month before it sold - managed to use twice as much water as we have in any month we've lived there!!).