The Magic and Miracle in the Movies : Harry Potter

An Introduction

As this is a time of lots and lots of movies, I thought I would finish what I have started on a short blog series on my view of magic and miracles in movies.  Honestly, there are probably quite a few movies out there, so I am not quite sure how many of these blogs I will write.

To start off with, I am usually kind of mum when it comes to movies.

The only thing I usually say is, "I am not a big movie person."  But in all honesty, I did watch quite a bit of movies in the past and some of the ones deemed as classics, I usually watch over and over and over.

In the last decade, there has been a few movies that has caused some stir in the Christian community.  One such series of movies/books is Harry Potter.

Now, some of my utmost conservative Christian friends will think when they first look at the title, "Blasphemy!  Harry Potter has magic, wizards, witches, and talking (whatever)!"  Yes, I guess there are those elements in the books and movies.

But then, I would say the same for The Chronicles of Narnia.  There's magic, wizards, witches, and talking half human-half goat people.  Heck, there is Santa Claus in the Chronicles of Narnia! (Gasp, really?)

In most of the movies I will dive into, these movies have a common theme that usually goes like this:

• There is evil in the world.
• Someone comes and saves the world.
• There is generally some kind of sacrifice or heroic deed that comes along with saving the world.

In my first dive into a movie, I'll be analyzing the books/movies of Harry Potter.


Harry Potter

Harry Potter is probably the best selling series of books in the past decade.  I have read the first 3 books (then I got bored; you will find that I am a horrible reader, I can't seem to finish a book or series of books).

For me, I am more of a visual person, so watching the movies were really fun.  Taking my "Christian" hat off and watching all 8 movies in series, I was left with a lot of oohs, ahs, how cute (when Daniel Radcliff was still young), and "Wow, I didn't see that coming."  Although, on the surface, it appears to be another kid's story of wizards and witchcraft, it really have a great over-arching story that was rather complicated to follow.

In summary, Harry Potter's life from age 11 was magical and adventurous.  The story starts off with him being recruited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Skipping some of the smaller stories in the storyline, Harry learned of his past that his parents were murdered by a evil wizard named Valdemort.  As a token of remembrance, Valdemort etched a lightening bolt on Harry's forehead.  Harry was the child that Valdemort could not destroy.  Harry later finds out that there is something tied to this lightening bolt (a horcrux) as Valdemort tries in vane to find him and capture him.  The horcruxes were Valdemort's soul split into various parts.

In the last book (and 2 movies), Harry comes to face Valdemort in a final match.  As I recall, Valdemort may not have known that this last little piece of himself is etched in the lightening bolt.  Harry knew, so offers himself as a sacrifice, so that Valdemort eventually kills himself by trying to kill Harry Potter.  But as with these type of movies, Harry comes back to life and moves on.

You might ask, why did I bring up Harry Potter?  Well, as a young Christian back in the early 2000's, it was somewhat engraved in my brain that "magic" is bad.  But stepping into the real world after graduation, I realized that although "magic" might be bad, there is bad "magic" (as in evil) and good "miracles" (things that of God and the Holy Spirit).  I learned to see a lot of things through different lenses and arguments.  [Hence, let's go back to the Chronicles of Narnia...maybe next blog.]

Somehow, conservative Christianity fails to tell us that as adults, we can watch these movies and read these books.  I understand for children, it might be wise to stay away from magic so that they do not believe it in but how can you tell your children to stay away from C.S. Lewis, a Christian author, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia?

Going back to Harry Potter, it can be simply summarized as the message of a boy who came into the world as a hero to save people from the evils of Valdemort and his evil dark magic.  He came as an orphan and had a purpose from the time of his infancy.  Truly if you did take away the "magic" out of the story, it won't be quite Harry Potter.

Birthday Reflection 2013

Every year, around this time, I often reflect on the past year and what I have accomplished (or not accomplished).  I try not to think about "getting older".

My thoughts brought me to a friend who recently past away.  I went to a memorial service for her not too long ago.  She was about 65.  I made my travels to Kings Mountain to this memorial service on a gray afternoon.  Now, if you have been to Kings Mountain, you would know that there is not much going on.  It's a pretty sleepy town; a good town to retire in. The only thing that really happens is high school football and sports.  And maybe the Christmas parade.

The service was held in a United Methodist Church in downtown Kings Mountain.  If you have been to a traditional Methodist church, it can be quite... well... boring.  The service started with some usual hymns and prayer.  Then the reverend started his message. 

You can tell that this reverend really knows my friend.  She was pretty involved with the church, so I'm not surprised at how much he talked about her.  In the wake of her death, many friends and former students called into the church to expressed their condolences and well wishes for the family. 

One interesting story perked my attention.  It is regarding a AME pastor who was a former Spanish student of my friend.  (My friend was a retired high school Spanish teacher.)  This pastor used to be a trouble maker in high school and was in the wrong crowd.  But my friend challenged him (not sure how) in that if he past high school, she would give him a little book about John Wesley.  It is probably the same little book she gave me when I went through high school.  I thought that was a strange little gift to give a troublemaker. 

Well, this pastor did read the book and was very moved by John Wesley's work and practice, that he went on to become a pastor of an AME church in California.  When he called to talk to the reverend, he had already cried for days mourning the lost of a friend who God have used to changed his life.

It reminded me of my own journey.  This friend invited me to this same Methodist church many years ago.  Through high school ministry, I got my first taste of Christianity which later gave me the foundation on me accepting Christ.

It also reminded me that every little action we take as Christ followers can greatly affect a friend, a colleague, a teen, a child.  You never know where God can take a person and what God can do in the hearts of people.