I came upon this poem I wrote a few months ago, probably after reading some article or another talking about how good Christian parents should keep their kids away from Harry Potter. I've read many such articles over the years, and I confess I've found them a bit distressing, since I consider myself both a devoted Christian and a huge Harry Potter fan. It's nice to know there are many others out there who find Harry to not only not be anti-Christian, but to be richly steeped in Christian ideals and a springboard for all sorts of thoughtful discussion. Anyway, here's my little "be nice to Harry" rant...
In Defense of Harry
I'm never sure how to respond
When I hear people denigrate Harry.
They've been blasting him since
Long before Half-Blood Prince
And warning parents to be wary.
This boy with a broom and a wand
Has caused such an unholy commotion,
And some people think
He leads kids to the brink
Away from good Christian devotion.
For "witch" is a word that is cursed
By the pious and God-fearing masses
Who aren't sure if they should
Even look for the good
In a book touting wizarding classes.
But I ponder which message is worse:
That the boy with the scar must be hated
Or that in stories of
Moral fiber and love,
Some magic should be tolerated.
I don't have to wonder for long.
My thoughts on this couldn't be clearer
If they leaped from the haze
As I patiently gazed
With intent into Erised's mirror.
It is possible that I am wrong,
But whenever I sift through the noise,
I am sure God is love
And that He is above
Flinging lightning bolts at orphan boys.
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2 comments:
Lovely job, Erin! I do love the way you engage the stories you love through poetry. I've been playing about with some HP poetry, but thus far don't have much...though I've got one brewing. If it ever makes it paper, I'll post it here. :-)
I especially like the last stanza of this one. I spent some time on the B&N discussion board in 2005 talking about the symbolism of Harry's lightning scar, and I connected it, in a sense, to baptism. I'll have to see if I can dig up the post (I tried to keep copies of all the longer ones) and if I find it, I'll post it.
As for the "Harry haters" (as John Granger puts it) it's hard to know how to respond. The knee-jerk reaction can be hard to respond to with charity, though I try.
There are more thoughtful folks expressing real concern -- I can appreciate and even empathize with parents doing that, but I do wish those more thoughtful folks would explore the series more deeply. I think JKR is writing out of a deep well of Christian literary tradition!
Thanks! :) I'd definitely love to read more of your HP-inspired poems! :D
Yeah, I think if a lot of the people who objected really sat down and read it, they might take a different view...
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