The People Who Lived

My children's generation, grew up on J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. They were drawn to the adventure, the mystical creatures, and, of course, the magic. For many in the church, the idea of books for children idealizing sorcery and witchcraft was problematic, if not downright evil. Sermons were preached and protests made against the books and their companion movies. In spite of the reaction of the church, or maybe because of it, the books and movies were read and watched by millions.

There is a better way. There is a secret, surely unintentional, surprise in these books. You see, it's not that Harry Potter is a wizard that makes him important. In his world, at least, that's normal. In fact, at least by my reading of the stories, he is not that particularly extraordinary of a wizard, at least compared to others. No, that is not the best part of the story. We learn from the beginning what is important about Harry Potter: he is The Boy Who Lived!

And we could be, too!

Using our eyes of faith, aided by God's word revealed in Scripture, we can find a place to explore the most important question of our baptism: what does it mean for us, products of a world constrained by death, to be the ones that God has chosen to be The People Who Lived?

Now, as the era of Harry Potter comes to its end with the release of the final movie, let us take a look back at the whole series and see if we can discover in them the important spiritual questions of death and life and find there, not by magic but by the work of God's spirit, the beginning of a new chapter in our own lives.

September 7 Beginnings What does it mean for me to be alive? What does it mean to be born again?

September 14 Evil Am I evil? How do I face evil the world every day?

September 21 Redemption What lie is keeping me a prisoner? How can I be set free?

September 28 Trials How will God help me through the challenges that I will face today?

October 5 Community How can I build better relationships with the people around me?

October 12 Grief How can I go on with the grief I bear?

October 19 Death What does it mean to live forever?