How to Share Your Faith Using Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Like it or not, Harry Potter is zooming back into our world on his Quidditch broom via the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . Mega-book seller Amazon.com recently named Harry Potter's author, J. K. Rowling, their number one best-selling author, beating out the likes of Dr. Seuss, John Grisham and J.R.R. Tolkien. Barnes & Noble Bookstores' spokesman announced, "The Harry Potter series has shattered all records in publishing history. . .
Suspense swirls and tension mounts with Harry's return to Hogwarts - who will die in this volume of the series, as promised by the author? What dark and fearful fate awaits Harry next? But regardless of the twists and turns in the plot of the Half-Blood Prince , there's little doubt that Harry will continue to be a heroic figure that millions of kids grow up loving.
Should the sometimes controversial backdrop of witchcraft and wizardry make Harry Potter off-limits to Christian readers? The Bible clearly condemns witchcraft. (See Gal. 5:20.) But many Christian experts agree that the world of Hogwarts' spells and wizardry is not the same as the practice of occult rituals condemned in Scripture. Christian author Charles Colson observes, "The magic in these books is purely mechanical. Harry and his friends don't make contact with the supernatural world. Rowling's magical world has more in common with Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty than it does with modern day witchcraft.
Nevertheless, 1 Thes. 5:21-23 tells us,
"Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
If you choose to read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince keep your eyes open and your brain in high gear - as the bible says - "test everything" and then use Harry Potter as a springboard to talk about your faith with your friends!
Here are some questions to ask yourself and discuss with your friends as you find Harry Potter mania invading the culture once again.
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In the on-going tension between good and evil that runs throughout the Harry Potter books, is there doubt in your mind which side Harry's battling on? As the teens at Hogwarts explore their magic powers, do they face choices regarding whether to do good or do evil with their magic? Are you drawn to those who are courageous, self-sacrificing and compassionate and repelled by those who are cowardly, selfish, and cruel? How does God fit into this picture? Explain why there is evil in the world using the 'Our sin separates us from God' part of the G.O.S.P.E.L Journey.
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Magic powers and witches appear in a variety of fairy tales and fantasy literature. Is the magic and witchcraft in Harry Potter different from the fantasy found in The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, Sleeping Beauty or The Chronicles of Narnia ?
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Do you think the naïve, fun-filled, and sometimes humorous depiction of witchcraft in the Harry Potter series softens up your views and lowers your defenses regarding the modern-day practice of wiccan or occult-related activity? If your discussions raise questions about modern-day witches' beliefs.
Harry Potter is part of our youth culture. Whether you're a Quidditch-loving, invisibility cloak-savvy muggle or not, isn't it great to know that you can use your friends' interest in Harry as an opportunity to share your interest in God?!?
