In honor of a certain wizard, and a certain woman...

In honor of the movie that opens tonight, based on what I think might be the best fictional series EVER, I wanted to post a note I wrote on Facebook almost two years ago, after I all but devoured The Deathly Hallows in just a few days. I should warn you, I was pretty fired up...

So, I'm pretty sick of the people who think they have authority to go about declaring which modern cultural phenomenons come directly from Satan... you know, the people who write off Tolkien because there are wizards involved. ...who won't concede that Bono is following Christ when he seeks medicine, food and debt relief for Africa based on the fact that he is a secular pop star. Who say Mother Teresa might not be a Christian because she was a Catholic (have you ever read ANYTHING she wrote? There is NOT a question). I especially cringe when people think you can't be a Christian and a Democrat, because I'm SURE I'm both.

And finally, I'm DEFINITELY over the people who are anti-Harry Potter. You know, the chick in Jesus camp who says that if we were in Old Testament times, Potter would be "PUT TO DEATH" for being a "warlock." That kind of thing... #1- we AREN'T in OT times, my friend. Jesus came to fulfill the law and give us a new covenant, and, more importantly, #2- HELLO! IT'S FICTION! You can't put someone to death when they aren't alive at all. (added by 2009 Emily: I wanted to clarify, I understand the nature of the concerns. One person on an alarmist website put it this way, "The whole purpose of these books is to desensitize readers and introduce them to the occult." but after reading every single word of the series TWICE, I can honestly say that the books speak more about humanity- its flaws and redemption, its cowardice and courage, its loss and love- than about the occult.)

Here's the best (and also saddest) part- Rowling is a believer. Best because her work, especially at the end, shows a marvelous picture of Christ's love and sacrifice for us. Best because she is a person, a Christian, who has made a HUGE impact on the world. Saddest because she has been under attack for years by the very people who should have encouraged her in her journey. Here is a link to an article about this in the Dallas Morning News. I'm sure there are some people who will still miss the point, but I'm pretty sure they're missing the BIG picture anyway. Jesus loves us and he wants everyone to know that. If reading an epic piece of literature, written by someone who says she follows Him, helps someone better grasp how BIG His love is, then I'm pretty sure that makes God smile. Condemnation, isolation and division- I think He's clear about how He feels about that too...

Thanks, Jo, for everything.