Is Harry Potter really the problem?
Written By Dove at Ancient CrossroadsReproduced with permission.
We all hear a lot about Harry Potter. Depending on who you talk to, Harry Potter books are either the best thing since sliced bread as well as being responsible for kids deciding that reading is cool again, OR these books are stepping stones to the occult and just plain evil.
Both views cannot be correct, however, the question bears asking,
“Which is right and which is wrong?”
Before I continue, let me comment that I really do not like anything that makes witchcraft appear to be attractive with no consequences. While Harry Potter does make witchcraft attractive, is it the reason that so many are drawn to Wicca?
Or is it merely a symptom?
I would submit that Harry Potter is a symptom, just as movies such as The Craft, or TV shows such as “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” and “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” are symptoms of the problem. Having voiced this opinion, let me submit that too often we are so busy focusing on the symptom of the problem that we have lost sightof what the real problem is.
The problem is the same as it has always been since Eve ate the fruit that the serpent gave her,
while Adam stood by.The problem is that we are separated from God by sin.The world is afraid that they will miss out on something fun if they turn to our God.
Why shouldn’t they have that attitude?
Isn’t that precisely what we convey many times? While we need to pursue holiness, too often we do sowhile looking miserable. The world already has misery, they do not need to give up anything in order to attain it. The people we try to reach on a daily basis are watching and waiting for us to be different. They are waiting to see something in our lives that they truly want. Until they see a clear difference in our lives, the fruits of the spirit to be precise, few will be attracted to our God.
The pagan community is growing by leaps and bounds, these precious people are searching for something greater than themselves. I submit that rather than blaming Harry Potter, we Christians need to take a hard look at ourselves and ask if we are contributing to the problem or are we willing to be used by God to communicate the solution. If we are not communicating the solution to a world that is searching, then we are far worse than the very books that we decry as leading people away from God.
After all, it is we who have been given the Great Commission, not the world. The time to fulfill it is here.
We do not have the luxury of blaming non-Christians for our inability to accomplish what we have been commanded to do. The question remains, is Harry Potter the problem?
Or are we in the body of Christ to blame by not following the command of our Savior?
