The inevitable one about Harry Potter

Disclaimer: I'm speaking from personal experience, and am trying to do so in love.  I do not pass judgment on anyone whose opinions vary from my own; I'd like people to know why I came to my conclusions on the subject, and perhaps if anyone is struggling in the same way this can help.  If you are curious what the Bible says about witchcraft and how that translates to things in the world of entertainment, here's a starting point.

Many people have asked me why I don't like Harry Potter.  I decided to write this post because it gives me a chance to articulate some of my reasons.

Growing up, I wasn't allowed to watch the Harry Potter movies or read the books--mostly because of the magic, and partly because of some "scary" bits.  As a kid, I got scared easily.  As an adult, I appreciate the various movies my parents kept from me until I got a little bit older.  When I was 17, I decided to watch the HP movies and choose for myself what I thought of them.  After all, every other person I knew had seen them and most were in love with the series.

I desperately wanted to love the movies.  I felt like I'd be "in" with people; I thought, surely, they can't be that bad if everyone loves them.  One afternoon when the movies were on TV, I sat down and began to watch.  I saw the first one, then the second, third, and fourth over the course of the weekend.  With each one, I could feel myself being tugged in two different directions.  A part of me desperately wanted to watch them.  The plot lines were intriguing, humor throughout, and the magic was enticing.  But there was a small voice inside that kept telling me to turn the TV off.

At first, I decided not to listen.  I progressed on, watching the next movie.  The voice got a little bit louder and tugged harder.  Onto the third movie!  By the time I finished the fourth and started on the fifth, I was sick to my stomach.  I picked up the remote, which suddenly weighed a hundred pounds, and fought against myself to turn it off.  I craved the movies because I wanted to love them and fit in.  But I desired to listen to the voice even more.

I don't want you to think that what I'm saying is if you were really listening to the Holy Spirit, you wouldn't watch these movies or read the books.  No, I'm simply giving a true and honest recount of my experiences.  This is personal, people.  Mkay?  Mkay.

I prayed about it a lot, because God usually doesn't convict me so strongly on movies in the way He did this time--I was a little confused (and definitely conflicted).  Something just didn't feel right when watching them.  I knew the reason why, and decided to look into what God has to say.  There was a part of me that somewhat hoped to find a way around what I knew I would read, but I was also determined not to be swayed by my emotions as I discovered what the Lord said.

I listened to so many people who said it was okay--I began to wonder if it really was, and that's a dangerous place to be without seeking what the Lord says on any topic, not just this.  Looking it up, I found that God is very clear about witchcraft.  We should never seek them out (Lev. 19:31), He wants nothing to do with those who practice it (Lev. 20:6), it is a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21), and there is a price to pay when you dabble in dark things (Rev. 21:8).  It is evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 21:6), and He is against it.  Notice that two of those verses are in the New Testament--this isn't one of those things God only talks about in the O.T.  It's everywhere.  There are many more verses that talk about this subject, throughout both Testaments. 

In fact, Acts 19:18-19 shows us:

"Many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.  And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all."

The problem I found with the Harry Potter series is that witchcraft is portrayed as sometimes good and sometimes evil.  God is clearly against it--He makes no exceptions.  To Him, it is always detestable.  I personally would not want to indulge in something and spend my time watching/reading/thinking about something God is so vehemently against.  If something is written in the Bible, I think it's because it's important.  I don't believe that God tells us things of no importance.  So if anything written once in the Bible is important, how important must this subject to be to the Lord, who shows us time and time again how evil witchcraft is?

Some people have tried to talk me out of my convictions.  In those times, I am reminded of Romans 14.  We're given examples of people who have different convictions: some believe eating meat is alright, and some believe it isn't.  But, "Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats...Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?"  (Romans 14:3...4)  A few verses later, we find another example of differences in personal convictions.  Paul emphasizes that each person should be fully convinced of his/her own decision (Rom. 14:5).

That is not to say that we should make up our own convictions willy-nilly.  Rather, "If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord."  (Rom. 14:8)  Our convictions should be based on Truth, which is the Word of God.  There's a difference between personal convictions when it comes to food or celebrating holidays, and choosing that something God is strongly against is suddenly alright.  People in our culture do it all the time--just think of the two biggest religious arguments that are going around right now.  Personal conviction, or Truth?  For me, I strongly feel in my own life that the Truth about Harry Potter is decidedly against what my culture tells me.

The real issue here isn't whether or not a person reads/watches HP, though.  It's not about getting on one side of the fence and arguing till we're blue in the face.  I think we can all use a good reality check in life--our spiritual lives are important, and it's easy to get sucked into the things of the world.  As it's been said before, just because everyone's doing it, doesn't mean that it's right.  But hey, if you are on the other side of the HP fence than me, I'm not asking you to "repent of your evil ways!!!!" but rather, know where I'm coming from and don't try to talk me out of what I know the Lord has spoken into my life.  I promise I'll try to do the same. Perhaps you have reasons you've found in the Bible to watch Harry Potter--if you have, definitely message me, because I'd love to know what more the Bible says about the subject!

In this day and age, it's a popular thing to say "don't judge!" to anyone who expresses a different view than ours.  While it is true that we should not put ourselves in the place of God and judge a person's soul, we as believers should test everything (1 Thess. 5:21), and that includes even the things we may enjoy.  There's a difference between judging a person by condemning them, and using discernment to judge whether or not something is right.  I know I've had to do it many times, with a variety of movies, books, and other forms of entertainment.

Now, I certainly don't get it right all the time.  Far from it!  I am a completely incomplete work-in-progress, and God is definitely not finished with me yet.  I'm in no way saying that I'm better or holier than another because of my choice in movies and books (or lack thereof).  I am convicted every day by those around me, and though it's sometimes painful to realize something I love is not pleasing to the Lord, I am thankful to be awake enough to see it in those times.

You may not agree with me; that's alright.  My reason for posting this was to shed light on some of the reasons I choose to not watch or read the series, and to somewhat attempt to explain the other side of the argument.  Because honestly, it seems like everyone is allowed to talk about Harry Potter all they want--until they have a different opinion than the masses. 

No matter what our differences on convictions are, we are the body of Christ.  Which is totally awesome.  I hope that you will, whoever and wherever you are, have a fantastic day in the Lord as we all continue to grow in Him and learn more about Him. :)

Peace out!

~Laurel

P.S. If you want to hear more of my thoughts, feel free to contact me and we can talk--but please don't do it if you're only looking for an argument!  ~  Also, feel free to check out books like "Harry Potter and the Bible" by Richard Abanes to read about what other people have to say on the topic.

Beautifully Broken

    Here's a poem I literally just wrote, mmm maybe, 10 minutes ago. I wrote it in less than 5 minutes or so. Usually I wait to post things until I've edited it a lot or let it sit and marinate a bit but I decided that today I would let there be something beautiful about the raw truth and imperfection of right now. 

     I was dealing with some anxiety and decided to write this poem. Luckily I've had fewer anxiety attacks now that I have learned how to identify and deal with it as it comes but I had one of those moments where I could feel it dwelling up in me, so I took to ye old typewriter. (Just kidding, I don't own one of those, but I did type everything out on ye new computer nonetheless). 

     If you don't know what anxiety is... look it up, because I don't feel like explaining it. Haha! The majority of people I know think they deal with anxiety, though they don't. But with the insanity of life in this century and the lack of ability or knowledge for people to deal with negative emotion, anxiety is greatly on the rise and you'd probably be surprised by just how many people struggle with it. Having said that, there is a different between being anxious and having anxiety. Also, there is a difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack. Panic can seem very similar to anxiety because they can come from similar root problems but they are not the same. 

    Many people are pretty ashamed to talk about their negative feelings or admit that they can't handle life all the time. Though I sometimes feel this way too, I think it's a very beautiful thing for people to admit that they don't always have their act together. Honestly, I don't think I ever have my act together, but I think that's part of being beautifully broken. The fact that I can feel so dark sometimes and be so disillusioned and discombobulated but still make my way in this world really is a miracle in itself. So I think this world needs to share more of its personal brokenness. We can't be miraculously healed or heroically rescued if we are never hurt or in need of help and I think that without brokenness we would never see such beautiful redemption. Maybe that's why I don't inherently hate sad movies... huh... Anyway, here's a glimpse of what I feel like sometimes when anxiety strikes its way into my stomach... 

Beautifully Broken

Ready to get out,

Ready to let go,

Ready to leave behind the chains that hold me close.

Over my chest, they press and press as they steal my each and every breath.

Over my heart, my lungs, my breast, the chains pull tighter. They never rest.

And so I hurt inside— I writhe, I wriggle,

Trying to break myself free.

Until I’m hysteric, hilarious, foaming and brittle—

Past the point of no return is where I’m heading.

And I cry and I cry and I cry and I cry and I cry until I can’t keep crying anymore

Because I’ve decided to take a swim in my salt lake of tears where I can bathe in my misery galore.

And it’s dark and it’s dank and it’s full of screeching souls

But I’m tangled up in chains so I don’t mind

But inside me is the metal of the chains I’ve swallowed whole and now they seem to bind me from inside.

And I burp and I belch and the chains come poking out, like the birth of devil spawn inside of me.

And I can’t seem to figure out what the heck I should do because I’ve tried (for so long!) not to set them free.

So I shut down.

Completely.

I learn to live in the dark.

No flashlight, no nightlight, all the light has been set apart.

I am completely bound by darkness, like the death I was born to be

And though nothing makes any sense, in essence I am free.

Finally, I mustn’t answer to anyone I know. I mustn’t answer to anyone at all.

Finally I am capable of nothingness in my head.

If I close my eyes, I might even fall-- 

But it only lasts for one second before I wake up and find myself dead.

Until I'm right back at it and the cycle is starting again.

I might as well let it get the best of me...

A n x i e t y.

Live, Learn, Love, and Leave a Legacy,

Emma

Sufficient Grace

Grace.  We hear about it on Sunday mornings, talk about it at Bible studies, and try to live by it in our daily lives.  But sometimes, life gets in the way and prevents us from seeing and knowing the truths Jesus so lovingly told us.  We forget to give out that same grace that was lavished upon us.  And sometimes, we forget what grace really even means.

Dictionary.com defines grace as, "a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior...favor shown in granting a delay or temporary immunity." 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary, additionally, describes it being, "unmerited divine assistance given humans...a virtue coming from God...a special favor."  

On Tuesday, I found myself in need of the grace of the Lord.  I always need it--but sometimes I don't see that need.  I struggle with a condition called Neurocardiogenic syncope, which causes me to be careful in how I live.  Usually, I can catch and take care of the symptoms before the downward spiral.  Earlier this week, however, I found that all of a sudden, my body was saying loud and clear: PREPARE TO PASS OUT!

My sister picked me up from class and drove me home, and I spent the rest of the day vegging out on the couch and trying to down as much water as humanly possible. While my symptoms usually last from a few minutes to about an hour, this one lasted the better part of the day.  In times like those, it's hard for me to comprehend why I have been dealt these cards, so to speak.  I need to remember to immediately run to my Father for help, because the truth of my condition is that I cannot just fix it.  There is no magic Syncope-Be-Gone medicine.  But there is relief of a better kind.

Amidst the problems I was fighting through, a verse was put on my mind.  2 Corinthians 12:9.  I grabbed onto that verse and held it close, reciting it over and over as I waited for something to change.  But then I thought, why should I struggle so hard to be the strong one?  In what way does putting on a strong face, pretending nothing is wrong, help magnify Christ's strength? 

Over and over, I heard the voice of the Lord telling me exactly what I needed in that time.  My grace is sufficient for you.  Chill out, Laurel, I've got this.  My power is made perfect in your weakness.  Do you understand that?

Like the apostle Paul, sometimes we are given a thorn.  This can be literal--a physical illness causing pain--or it can be a number of other things.  Emotional turmoil and spiritual warfare, to name a few.  We ask for our pain to be taken away, but the answer isn't always yes.  Instead, sometimes God tells us simply that He is enough to get us through.  No doctor, no medicine, no lifestyle change can take away some of life's pains.  Our lives are not about feeling great all the time...they are about relying on Christ.  And often times, it is easiest to trust in Him completely when we realize how little we can rely on ourselves.

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me."  (2 Corinthians 12:8)  Paul was suffering, and he asked three times for the Lord to take his suffering away.  Yet Christ, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, chose to have the right outlook, despite his pain.  "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done."  (Luke 22:42)

This is the attitude I want to adopt in hard times.  Not my will, but Yours be done.  God knows infinitely more than I do--I am only a feeble-minded human.  In my weakness, His strength is magnified.  So if He wants me to walk through life with a thorn in my side, be it literally or metaphorically, how is that a bad thing?  It means I get to experience the strength of the Lord in a huge way.

And I would rather have that than have superficial strength any day.