Rumours of Grace: The correlation between Harry Potter and love

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Self-proclaimed Christian and member of a Presbyterian church J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone can illustrate one of the greatest qualities of all: love.

It’s been a while since author J. K. Rowling put the finishing touches on the last of the Harry Potter books. And the movie series has been complete for four years now. But I still like to watch the DVDs at home now and then. That is why a little while ago I found myself watching the end of The Philosopher’s Stone.

During the last 10 minutes of the film, the thought formed in my mind, “It’s all there.” Key things you need to know about life are right there.

Hermione gets special recognition for using her mind when everyone else had forgotten to think straight. Neville Longbottom gets a mention for having the bravery to face not his enemies but his friends when he believed they were going wrong. And of course, friendship. The movie series relies on the story of the friendship between Harry, Hermione and Ron.

But I want especially to get to Harry at the end of the The Philosopher’s Stone. Hagrid gives Harry an album with moving photographs of his parents. Harry loves and is loyal to his parents. Dumbledore, in the scene just before, rewards Harry for acting on pure love and courage. “Fifty points for Gryffindor!”

When you put it all together you get a celebration of family, friendship, courage and love. Especially love.

Not the romantic kind but the kind that will move you to give up something for another person, to make a sacrifice so that someone else can benefit. This could be seen as the theme for the entire series: learning what love is, what it can cost to live by it and what it brings to those who do so.

It turns out that Rowling is a committed member of an organization famous for promoting love: the church.

The web site of the Internet Writing Journal has an article posted about her faith. It talks about Rowling’s frustration about being labelled as an anti-church person because of the use of magic in the Potter series.

She states that she believes in God, is a Christian and attends a Presbyterian church.

Judging by the stories, sub-narratives and themes of the Harry Potter movies, Rowling is an excellent reader of the Christian Bible. Therefore, it is no wonder that love emerges as one of the biggest themes, if not the biggest one, in her movie.

Some of the most important and compelling words about love appear in the Bible in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 (from a version called the Message).

Love never gives up; cares for others more than for self

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have; love doesn’t strut

Doesn’t have a swelled head; doesn’t force itself on others

Isn’t always me first, doesn’t fly off the handle

Doesn’t keep score of sins; doesn’t revel when others grovel.

Love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth

Puts up with anything

Love trusts God always

Always looks for the best

Love never looks back

But keeps going to the end

Love never dies…

[For now] we have three things to do:

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.

And the best of the three is love.

I couldn’t really say better than these words, written by Paul, who was in the time of the early church, full of hatred, anger and pride. But as the Bible tells it, Christ changed him to not only plant churches in many cities, but also call people to love.

The greatest of all qualities: love.

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