The Short Pink-Haired Shimmering Lion

I chuckle & snigger as I read articles about certain people groups burning Harry Potter books and protesting against the latest movie. It was not too long ago I too was lectured by an aunt for reading this amazing book. She was yapping away non-stop and didn’t give me a chance to have my say. Luckily I was on holiday and didn’t have to face her drama any more. Out of it, two things ticked me off; firstly, she passed judgement on me – this being the first time we met and she not knowing anything about my faith (which reminds me to soon post my article on “Judging”). Secondly, what backward world are they living in? I am going to try and explain my point in the most simplified way, so here goes!

Harry is a wizard and has friends who are witches, elves or giants. They cast spells, interact with magical creatures & eat vomit flavoured candy. It’s safe to categorize this book as “Fiction”. So what other fiction books do kids read? Fairytales – and to name a few - Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White and Beauty & the Beast. As far as I remember, they all involve magic, dwarfs, spells & talking animals. I hope you see the point I’m trying to make. How different is Harry Potter from those fairytales? Did you go burn those books? Did you stop your kids from reading those fantasy stories or stop them from learning nursery rhymes which make no sense? I highly doubt it. Let’s take Barney as another example. He talks, dances around, makes the unthinkable happen and doesn’t he say it’s all “imagination”? But I guess its ok for a talking purple dinosaur to do magic. How could we not forget CS Lewis – he was a strong Christian and wrote the enchanting “Chronicles of Narnia” series. Anything wrong with that?

I have used “kiddy” references since grown ups think that their children will turn into wizards or witches if they read Harry Potter. So feel free to replace them with grown up fiction books (or even Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien / Super hero comics like Spiderman, X-men, Iron Man etc.) and you’d see the point I am making. I agree there is a limit for everything. Too much of anything is bad. Obsession & addiction with these books and movies could be harmful but I don’t see any harm as long as parents have a control over their kids interests.

Me, as an aspiring writer commend JK Rowling for her remarkably great writing skills. Hats off to her wonderful imagination that has undoubtedly inspired me and a million others. I don’t see why some protest against this book. If only they could open their minds a bit more to understand the story and see that it just revolves around love, sacrifice and peace. In other words; the never ending fight of good against evil. There is no such rule to choose either Harry Potter or being a Christian. I strongly believe in Jesus Christ and know that nothing can separate me from the faith I have in him. And I still enjoy reading good books and appreciate good writing which is nothing but fiction.

So be it Frodo, Tonks, Aslan or even Edward Cullen – remember; it’s fiction and just because I read it doesn’t mean I wanna turn into a “Short Pink Haired Shimmering Lion!”

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39