Sometimes I can’t really remember the beginning, or how all of this started. It really has been a long time, and so much has happened. I’m getting a little emotional already just writing about this: the end is only days away. It’s hard to believe, but this weekend, I will be…
…watching the very last Harry Potter movie.
(yeah, this post is about Harry Potter. What else did you think I was talking about? 😛 I promise I do have a point. Keep reading.)
Maybe you’re not in on the hype that has surrounded the Harry Potter books & movies for the past 12 years. What’s the big deal? you might ask. It’s just a story.
It is. But think about the power a story has to change a generation.
At what point in history has such a massive number of people, spanning all demographics, been so captivated by a book?
And it’s easy to see why.
Just as Rowling’s writing skills matured with each book, her characters grew with her audience. It shouldn’t surprise you much that I’m the geek who was scolded for reading “Goblet of Fire” under her desk in 8th grade when I should have been reading some textbook. I was the same geek at age 20, dressed up at Borders in the middle of the night when the final book was released. We grew up with Harry, and he with us.
As Allison said during our last Skype chat, “It is the epic tale of our generation.”
That’s the key: his story is uniquely ours.
It’s our grasp of good & evil.
It’s our picture of sacrificial love.
It’s our childhood, our adolescence, our moment of realization that the world is bigger than ourselves.
It’s true that the same allegory can be found in other classics–Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia–and there, with more intention.
But Harry belongs to us. His journey captured those who may never have followed Lucy through the wardrobe.
You see, all of these stories resonate with us in our heart of hearts for the same reason: their shared elements reflect the Story.
They show us that evil is real,
that Truth is real,
that there is darkness in the world, and everything is at stake if it wins,
that it won’t win!
but that the only thing that can defeat it is a sacrifice born of love.
Things like this show up on PostSecret all the time:
That definitely is not my sentiment towards the books, but it’s a real thought that people have, a real thing that Harry made people think about. Sometimes a good story brings the lofty truth of the Gospel closer to us. Ask anyone who didn’t grow up in Sunday School: the Bible is weird and confusing. Actually, ask anyone who has read it… But when there’s something in the culture that can represent a bit of what the Bible says, it’s easy to point it out and say, “You see? It’s kind of like that.” Jesus taught about the Kingdom with stories. He knew how to engage with what people understand, how to capture their hearts with an analogy. Watching people connect with the Gospel in that way is one of the most amazing, joyful things I’ve ever seen.
And think about how that Story has changed a generation.
Thousands of young people every year sell their possessions and give up great jobs to go into the mission field.
High schoolers face ridicule to worship together at school in the mornings.
College students live in the dorms as upper classmen just to disciple younger students.
They know their lives are worth nothing unless they’re connected to the truth they’ve found in Jesus.
And they start living in a way that really doesn’t make sense to the rest of the world.
I’m with 33 of these people.
And after almost eleven months of the most trying, hard, hot, hilarious, unforgettable experiences together, our World Race is coming to an end, too. There’s a bittersweet beauty in all of this finality.
Many of you have asked how I’m feeling about coming home. Honestly, I’m excited! As sad as endings may be, they come with perspective. As much as this year has felt like eleven distinct experiences, it is really one whole saga. I know I won’t see that until I’m at the end, looking back.
And to the next season, whatever it may bring, I have a quote from another favorite story: “It shall be an awfully big adventure.”
-Katie
another gem from PostSecret.com
