Why I Read Harry Potter (And Why Jesus Is Okay With It)

(This is a re-post from my old blog, written in Dec. 2013. I've been thinking about it recently and decided to share it from here.)

To understand where this post is coming from, know that I have heard and paid attention to every Christian argument about Harry Potter and considered them in due time. And still, in the 13 years since I've been embroiled in this debate by virtue of being one of the ones in my conservative community who not only didn't see a problem with them but loved them, I've never once faltered from my wholehearted support of these books. I'm now going to attempt the considerable challenge of stating my reasons for this without getting too snarky/condemning, because I've endured a lot of personal attacks over this subject and I'm working on being better about not retaliating. Despite my talent for it.

Reason 1: I'm not afraid. What do I mean by this? I mean that 90% of the arguments I hear about why people should stay away from Harry Potter are by people who are so afraid of being led astray that they create unnecessary rules. So let me state right here and now: Witchcraft is a thing. It's real, it's not a new thing by any stretch of the imagination. Harry Potter is not real witchcraft. How do I know this? Because I've studied the real thing. Not practiced, just researched to see exactly what I was dealing with. Besides, anyone who has a passion for Ancient Celtic culture runs into it more often than not, because so many of the symbols are tied up in the ancient pagan practices. So yes, I know that it's real. I know that it's not something to be played with. And I know that Harry Potter, from everything I've ever read or seen, isn't close in philosophy or practice.

Aside from that, for Christians, there is one truth that I think a lot of us overlook too often. We have absolutely no reason to be afraid of anything in the spiritual realm that is not of God. Because we have God. Who wins. Every time. Yes, they have power, and they use it. But our source is greater. If we truly believe that, we have no cause to be afraid of inferior power. Just saying.

And also, it's the philosophy of light and dark in practice. There is nothing dark that does not have a greater light side. Satan cannot create, he can only imitate and twist that which God has already created. So if there's power in pagansim, there's greater power in God that He gives Christians free access to through the Holy Spirit. It's a much more wholesome redemptive power too, and altogether awesome.

This also goes back to my post about fantasy and why it's not something to be feared.

Reason 2: I find Jesus so often in Harry Potter. Seriously. The story is based on a boy who is protected from the greatest evil powers BECAUSE OF HIS PARENT'S LOVING SACRIFICE. Furthermore, he is given the power to defeat that evil power once and for all by the knowledge of their love for him. And that's just the beginning of it. The entire series is based on the power of love, to redeem any situation even if the characters in question have been acting like brats the entire time (those who've read the series know that the entirety of Harry's rebellious years were somewhat annoying to read, and had real consequences to boot, which was a fairly good life lesson).

What people don't understand is that so much of Western literature is based on our cultural foundations in Christendom. Whether we want it there or not, the seeds are there, sprouting up in the oddest places. God has a way of making Himself present in unusual places. It's Christmas, for heaven's sake. We celebrate the fact that He CHOSE to be born into a food trough in the middle of a stable. If that's not unusual, I don't know what is.

If you want further proof, look at the entire study of pre-Christian mythology. I went to a lecture on C.S. Lewis and his relationship with mythology, and completely agreed with what he said. Mythology was God's way of preparing the hearts and minds of people to believe in something larger than themselves. The majority of myths from all over the world follow the same pattern of story as the Bible, or they have similar concepts presented within them.

So basically, Jesus is everywhere. I see Him all over the place. Even in Harry Potter. Especially in Harry Potter.

Reason 3: As a reader, and as one who is passionate about education, I cannot deny the effect Harry Potter had on a number of kids who had previously sworn off reading. The talent of J.K. Rowling to tackle such real issues in the midst of the fantastical drew a whole generation of readers in, a whole generation of kids who grew up with the characters. If you've never read the books, you're missing out. I'm not denying that they get dark. They're intense reads from book 4 on. But since when is LIFE ever all hunky-dory? Not only does that make for a boring story, it's not true.

I've never been a fan of neutering reality out of literature in the name of "protecting" kids. Especially not after they've hit puberty and in many cultures and societies would be considered to be capable of acting and thinking as adults in most areas of life. What it really does, in my experience, is remove a person's ability to deal with reality when it hits.

Simple example: When I was a kid, I was sheltered utterly from all forms of bad language. In a militant sort of way. I was one of those kids who got in trouble for saying "dang it." But I never even knew the majority of the real words, the ones that I should have been avoiding. So when I heard a friend using the word "sh*t" I had no idea that it wasn't appropriate. Until of course, I had adopted it into my language and got in trouble for using it. Had I known what to watch out for, I might have avoided it.

Empowerment is what I'm talking about, really. By letting kids know that life isn't always going to be the happiest of things, and giving them actual tools to deal with that, we're empowering them to take their challenges in stride. By sheltering overmuch, you're producing the opposite effect. There is no way to protect any person from hurt. The best we can do is love them enough to give them weapons to battle the hurt. I'm reminded of the quote, "Evil never wins unless good men do nothing." I forget who said it, or even if that's the right wording, but the point is there.

I could go on for days, but I'll stop there. There's this annoying thing called life that I took a brief break from to write this, and it's calling my name now. *sighs and walks off muttering "Accio job applications"...*

Day 27: Social Life. What?

I'm sitting here at Dennys with my distinctly nerdy friends. It's great fun. Talk about speaking the same language. Our conversation has so far spanned 3DS mini-games, other 3DS games, new video games, board games, books, graphic novels, movies... And we're all writers, so there's that. 

All this to say that I'm totally out of things to talk about, because I've already talked about it all with them! This is unfortunate, but I feel like it was worth the social time. If I was smart, I would have done this earlier today, but I kinda got distracted playing Skyrim... Minor details.

More tomorrow! (Hopefully)

Day 26: The Story That Sticks With Me

So, as I mentioned yesterday, my entire Christmas was waking up and eating something and then jumping into a Lord of the Rings marathon. This is not the first time I've done this, though it was the first time my aunt had attempted such a thing. And for a rookie, especially one who tends to fall asleep in movies, she did pretty well. This marathon is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. It helped that every time she woke up I was there to explain what she missed in detail. Maybe too much detail, granted, but that's beside the point.

I was thinking about it after going to bed. Fellowship came out in 2001, and I didn't get a chance to see it until it was in the cheap theaters, so it was probably mid-2002 when I saw it. That would make it over 12 years that I've been obsessed with this story. By the time The Two Towers came out in late 2002, I had already read the whole trilogy at least twice and jumped into the realm of the internet for more information. I was a nerdy kid. I read everything I could find, memorized arcane facts about this world.

12 years later, I remember a lot of that random information. Maybe not everything. But I still geek out when I find Histories of Middle Earth. I have multiple copies of the Trilogy because some are just pretty and some are actually to read. I have other writings of Tolkien, books of poems, some translations that he did of other great works. (Side note: if anyone wants to buy me a truly spectacular gift, Tolkien's estate released his translation of Beowulf just this last year and I've been drooling over it ever since.) 12 years later, I'm still obsessed with this story. I wake up randomly and decide that I need to watch the movies. I listen to the audiobooks on my phone on the way to and from work. Or just pick up the books randomly and decide to read a little bit.

What is is about this story that has held me so enthralled for 12 years? I'm not the only one, and certainly not the biggest mega-fan of these books. Christopher Lee (who played Saruman, for those who don't know) was so excited to be a part of the movies, after reading the trilogy at least once a year for like, 40 years. That's dedication. That's love. I can only hope to equal that level of dedication to anything in my life.

There's just so much to this whole story. Both the books and the movies, in their own special ways. As I was watching Fellowship, especially after just finishing the audiobook, I couldn't help but notice some of the distinct differences. Contrary to a lot of book purists, I think that those differences are a good thing. The movies are, ultimately, based on the books. They are not the books, and they never could be. There is no real way to put all the little details that Tolkien peppered his work with into a movie. I've always been fine with that. Less fine when they add major story-line changes that are completely outside the realm of possibility (in my opinion), but I'll set that aside for now.

I couldn't figure it out last night, just one thing to talk about on here. One aspect of the movies that really struck me this time around. Until I realized that it was exactly that. After 12 years, I still get something out of it every time I watch the movies or read the books. Only the best books can do that. Grow up with you. From 13 years old when I was so enamored of the history of every little landmark and battlefield and sword. To 25, when the reality of watching a father bury their child is no longer a distant thing to me. That scene in Two Towers when Theoden has to bury Theodred, that hit me especially hard after May of 2013. Especially Eowyn's lament, which has always been one of my favorite parts of the movie. This time around, the emotion that she puts into her song was way more real to me.

This is the mark of a good story, that it grows and changes with the one experiencing it. It's one of those things that changes every time you read or watch or listen to it, because you change. And in turn, it changes you. There are things that I didn't understand when I was in high school. I used to find Sam's speech to Frodo in the face of the Nazgul attacking Osgiliath too long and unnecessary. This time around, I connected with it for the first time really.

"But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come! And when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer! Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something."

This story is one of those for me. All the darkness that they face, the impossible odds, the completely unexpected method of destroying a powerful artifact (let's just send the Hobbits, he'll never expect that!), the finding of courage even in the smallest of people. The depth of history of this world, the loyalty of the company to one another, even across the greatest of distances.

And then there are verses like this one, which have stuck with me for years even though it was only mentioned once (and only half of it) in the movies. I'll leave you with this beautiful picture of renewal.

All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not with
Deep roots are not touched by the frost

From the ashes a fire shall be woken
A light from the shadows shall spring
Renewed shall be blade that was broken
The crown-less again shall be King

Day 25: Merry Lord of the Rings-mas!

Merry Christmas everyone! After careful consideration on what to do on this day, given that we really had no family plans after getting back from Reno, I came to a conclusion about the best way to celebrate Christmas: Watch Lord of the Rings, of course!

It had been too long since my last marathon of all three Extended Editions, you see. At least since last year sometime, because I didn't have access to any of my DVDs for almost half of this year, and even then I didn't have a TV or DVD player available until last month. So I was overdue.

So far they're amazing. I will likely blog about that tomorrow, since this current viewing has yielded some inspiration in areas that I had forgotten. Plus, I just love this story.

For now, however I will keep it short. We have only just finished the second movie, which means the last one is going to go very late into the night. It could not be avoided. But it has been worth it, a hundred times over.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Day 24: Moving - Two Months Later

It's Christmas Eve! And I'm back home, hanging out in my room, with my happy green walls and red door which are appropriate for any hobbit hole and especially appropriate this time of year. Also, new blinds, courtesy of my father and brother who were able to install them before we left for Reno! I love the fact that I don't have to hear the un-muffled sound of traffic, or see the massive amounts of light pollution outside my window every night now! Also, I don't have to hide in the closet to change! I've dreamed of this day...

With that done, I've come to realize that half of my room is still covered in boxes, I still have a few things that are hanging out in the garage that was my storage while I was in the half-a-room living situation, and my room is entirely undecorated. Other than the things that came with my bookshelves (I like stickers, what can I say?). So I'm thinking since I probably won't have work until a week from Friday, I can knock some of this stuff out and enter the new year with a room that is actually put together. What a concept. 

Part of the issue was that when I went to unpack my books, I discovered that the bookshelves I had weren't quite enough. Thankfully, Aunt Cindy had quite a few in storage, and I commandeered it for my use, which means that I can indeed have to the wall of books that I've always dreamed of. My next step after that is figuring out where to put a dresser system (crates from Wal-Mart, maybe buying a few more to stack more effectively). Then organizing my desk drawers so that I can have the space that my office supplies are currently taking up. And also finding a chunk of my office supplies that have gone AWOL. I didn't realize it until I went to do Christmas cards and looked for my nice markers to make them prettier and couldn't find them. 

It's crazy how much still has to be done, two months after we moved in here. Granted, I've been distracted and/or unmotivated for a good amount of time. But even if I had worked on it consistently, there were still some things that couldn't have gotten taken care of right away. We had to get my brothers up here at various times to help move things, there were a lot of things that needed two people to accomplish and I was here alone for most of November. There are still some things, like how do I store plastic bins that are apparently just a little too big to slide under the bed easily? I'm considering just raising the bed a little bit, now that I don't have the box spring that made my bed tall enough that I had to jump up just to get in it. How do I do that then? All the questions.

Oh yeah, and then there's the other bookshelf... Heh. I may be a little addicted. This one at least goes up on my desk and also has the most useful power strip ever to add to it's value. Whoever came up with that idea get's the genius award, for sure. 

At any rate, my goal for this next week or so (after all the Christmas madness dies down) is to have the other half of my room back, freed from all the boxes and random piles of stuff. Organization is key. Also key, my large collection of music on iTunes to help keep me from going absolutely insane. Wish me luck!

P.S. Update RE: buying new jeans after eating at buffet: BAD IDEA. Grabbed my size and was dismayed to see that nothing fit... bought them anyway, on the theory that I could return them at my home store, pulled them on this morning, PERFECT! Which saves me a trip. Very glad about that.

Day 23: Nerdtastic!

As I've mentioned in other posts, I'm visiting family right now in Reno. Most of the time has been just hanging out with people, eating good food and occasionally watching TV. It's been fun, and it has also brought something to my attention: I am way nerdier than I think I am.

You know how you hang out with people who have the same interests when you have a choice. But when you're hanging out with large groups, or family from different branches and people who married in and stuff, it's different. The same frame of reference is not used. I say things like Firefly, and people look at me with confused glances. Or say 42 and then have to explain it...

It's interesting for me, because I have such a wide range of interests. I'm definitely into the geek side of life, in a nerdy way. I am a book nerd, a denizen of the internet, influenced by meme culture. and I have a wide knowledge of that culture even if I haven't watched all the shows or read all the comic books. But I'm also a music nerd, both by education and by what I like to listen to. I'm into sports, and will get just as over-the-top excited about the Giants as about the newest Hobbit movie. Anyone who was following me on Facebook in 2012 can attest to that. I also played sports, enough that I can hold my own with the kids at my job. Which is really all I need at this point in time. Just enough dexterity to gain the respect of the boys.

All of this to say, I can converse on a lot of different levels. I talk with kids as easily as adults. Older adults as well as the people my own age. I just have to remember to stick within a frame of reference. Like, when talking with older relatives, mentioning something like tumblr or reddit is probably not going to ring all that many bells. Sometimes, not even Facebook rings bells, which is always fun.

But when I do try to have conversations with people I think are reasonably nerdy, and they understand almost none of what I say, I am a little shocked. Apparently, I have moved more into that world than I'd thought. I'm totally okay with that. It's just a revelation to me. Especially since I often hang out with people who are way more nerdy or geeky than me in a lot of different ways. Which is basically my favorite, because then I at least feel normal.

Which is actually funny, because my youngest brother made that comment a couple of days ago. "Yeah, when I'm around other people I'm the weird one, but when I'm around [the family] I look like the normal one." It's just the opposite for me.

Day 22: Reflections on Christmas

I'm being good and getting this post done before going to dinner and shopping and stuff. We're in Reno at my uncle's house, so we're going to the Buffet to End All Buffets, as I call it. Also known as the buffet at the Atlantis, which is so expansive that I didn't even get to all the sections of it (just sampling food, mind you) before filling up entirely last year. It's good quality food too. It's amazing. So much excitement is mine right now.

And then... I'm going shopping for jeans for Christmas. Hmmm. Good thing I know my sizes for the particular store, because sizing denim after a buffet is probably a bad idea. But it will be nice to have more than one pair of pants to wear, particularly since working with kids isn't exactly the best way to make jeans last.

This Christmas has been pretty chill. Other than the two-party weekends, the rest of the season has not been nearly as crazy or stressful as previous years. I'm a fan of the more relaxed approach to the Holiday season. It's so much nicer. I don't feel like I'm so tired by Christmas that I can't actually enjoy Christmas.

I go back and forth between being really into Christmas. I have moments, I guess. Flashes of "yeah, this is great!" I like decorating the tree. I love Christmas trees in general, especially the real ones because you can't beat that smell. One year, I actually had a friend give me an air freshener for my car that smelled like a Christmas tree because I couldn't have a real on that year. It was the best. Except for a real tree. I currently have cuttings sitting on my desk at home that I break whenever I need a whiff. It's great.

Besides the tree thing though. I have mixed feelings about the music. I love the food part. I've never really been into Christmas movies. Most movies, if they're good enough for me to watch it during Christmas, I will watch it the rest of the year anyways. Same with music.

Without my nephews around a lot of the other stuff just isn't as fun. Kids add a level of excitement to anything, but especially holidays. Last year, we at least had my cousins kids around, which was nice. Nice to see my cousins too, which doesn't happen a lot. This year it's entirely too adult, as much as I love the rest of my family.

I'm not entirely sure where I was going with this, if I was going anywhere. I just was reflecting, after recovering from all the craziness yesterday. As with most reflections though, I catch myself just stating things without really having a cohesive picture for them.

Oh well. I'll try to do better next year.