Harry Potter

There are two books that I plan to finish this month, but next on my list after that is definitely the Harry Potter series!  There are scenes in the movies that are so brilliant and spiritually powerful I can hardly stand it... and everyone who's read the books assures me that they're much better than the movies, which is usually the case.  So I'm excited!!

I've been watching the ABC marathon this week, and last night, watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the first time.  Wow!!  I seriously took notes on the spiritual warfare themed quotes on my iPad, then emailed it to myself. lol  

(When the enemy causes him to doubt his own heart...)
Harry:  This connection between me and Voldemort - what if the reason for it is that I am becoming more like him? I just feel so angry all the time, and what if, after everything that I've been through, something has gone wrong inside me? What if I'm becoming bad? 
Sirius:  I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person; you're a very good person who bad things have happened to. Do you understand? Besides, the world isn't split into good people and death eaters; we've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.

(When he feels outcast and abandoned...)
Luna:  We both believe you, by the way... that he-who-must-not-be-named is back, and you fought him...
Harry:  Thanks. You seem to be about the only ones that do.
Luna:  I don't think that's true.  But I suppose that's how he wants you to feel.
Harry:  What do you mean?
Luna:  Well, if I were you-know-who, I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else... because if its just you alone, you're not as much of a threat.

(When he is belittled for believing evil exists and they need to fight it...)
Deloris:  You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way.
Harry:  Well, what use is that?  If we're going to be attacked, it won't be "risk free!"  ...How is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?
Deloris:  There is nothing out there, dear.  Who would you imagine would want to attack children like yourself?

(When his friends tell about his impressive victories...)
Harry:  It all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time, and I nearly always had help! Facing this stuff in real life is not like school...

(Training his friends to fight evil...)
Harry:  Working hard is important, but there is something that matters even more - believing in yourself!  Think of it this way:  Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than what we are now - students.  If they can do it, why not us??

(When he feels defeated and confused...)
Harry:  I tried so hard to help and all it's done is make things worse. Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore, because I don't want to play anymore. All it does is make you care too much. The more you care, the more you have to lose!  So maybe it's just better to...
Hermione:  To what?
Harry:  To go it alone.

(When he's preparing to fight back...)
Snape:  Every memory he has access to is a weapon he can use against you. You won't last two seconds if he invades your mind...
Harry:  I'm not weak!
Snape:  Then prove it. Control your emotions.  Discipline your mind.
Harry:  We've been at it for hours... if I could just rest!!
Snape:  The dark lord ...isn't ...resting!  (as only Alan Rickman can say it! lol)

(When he's trained his friends to fight, but they're outnumbered by those who side with evil...)
Lucius:  Did you actually believe, or were you truly naive enough to think that children stood a chance against us?

(Final scene of the movie...)
Harry:  I've been thinking about something Dumbledore said to me... that even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have.
Ron:  What's that?
Harry:  Something worth fighting for!
(Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

I think anyone would relate to Harry in this movie, especially any Christian who is aware of the power and deception of the enemy, the call of Christ, feeling alone, and the flesh/spirit struggle inside them!  Whether that was J.K. Rowling's intention or not, it's there and it is blatant.  The final fight scene in that movie is so epic and powerful I had to rewind it at least four times.  It's the perfect "battlefield of the mind" illustration as he's being mentally pulled into darkness and condemnation while the enemy reminds him of all he's done wrong and repeatedly says, "You're so weak."  In the middle of the attack, Dumbledore helps pull him back into the light, reminding him not to focus on the connection, but on all the ways he and his enemy are different.  

I love that Harry and his friends take evil seriously and band together and train to fight it, but the idea that Harry defeats him in the end by using "a power that the Dark Lord knows not" -- that being the power to love -- I can't even talk about it yet.  There's just SO MUCH THERE.  

And that last quote really made me stop and think about the idea that Christians have something worth fighting for that Satan truly doesn't have.  It's true, but I'd never considered that before.

Happy rant over.  It's a little hilarious that I'm so behind in getting into this... I really hate to miss movies I love on the big screen, so hopefully they'll re-release it or have a theater HP marathon sometime, perhaps after I've read the books.  Okay, back to work now.