Finally, the potter and the stone

It will give you one less reason to stare at me.
My brother in law got me the Harry Potter books for Christmas last year. It wasn't until a week or so ago that I could pick up book #1. I've gotten so many dropped jaws having not read these stinking books until now. Correction, they are not stinking at all.
There is a first for everyone, and for me, this is the first time I have EVER read a book after seeing the movie. Someone bake me a cookie, or rather, pop me some popcorn because I really want to watch the movie again, and plan to TONIGHT. Woohooo.

I remember the swarms of people yelping about how Christians shouldn't read this book. I say wingardium leviosa to that. I remember in college writing an article against a freak-a-zoid Christian church out west who had a Harry Potter book burning shindig. The arguments against J.K. Rowling couldn't ever cover only her, when J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (both Christians) had their magic and wizardry stories coming out in movie form.

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, along with Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia, for me, portray the gospel each in their own creatively brilliant ways. With Harry Potter ... it is the story of redemption. He is the chosen one who comes to fight evil. Although Harry finds favor among authorities, he also has to fight authority to battle evil. He realizes there is a bigger plan, bigger than his life with the Dursleys, bigger than his schooling at Hogwarts. He understands his purpose is not merely to die a "muggle" in the shadows of his horribly wretched cousin. He learns to put his life on the line to do the right thing. He matures more through experience than through head knowledge.

My favorite quotes come from wise old Dumbledore.

1."To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."
2. "The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution."
3. "Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

It is sad that Christians underestimate the power of Christ. God is all-knowing and all-powerful. Yes there are evil forces in the world, but the total truth is that God is Lord over it all. His truth will come forth from any story, I'm sure of it. We must not fear more than we seek. We must not judge more than we compassionately understand. We are called to stay level-headed and not accept unsound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3-5) — even when it comes from ourselves.