Are you like most people that hate goodbyes that you think are forever? I know I do. They feel empty – like you are tearing out a bit of your soul and tossing it to the wind. I feel like permanent farewells were never meant to be a part of this world – don’t you?
And for a movie geek like me, there is a sadness when an epic story comes to an end as well. Dorothy and her “no place like home,” Frodo when he sailed to the Grey Havens, or even Pikachu’s goodbye to Ash (remember The Time has Come???)
So now we say goodbye to The Boy Who Lived and all the gang from Hogwarts. The uber anticipated Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows 2 is finally unleashed in all its glory to tie up all the loose ends and bring closure to the curiosity that was seeded over 10 years ago when Harry’s voice hadn’t even changed yet.
For sure this movie series (and yours truly for writing about it) has withstood criticism from a portion of the Christian community for the wizard and witchcraft themes (as Snape would say…OB-viously) – but might I suggest a different perspective?
This entire series, and specifically Deathly Hallows 2 is an excellent way to introduce a generation that knows more about Harry Potter than Jesus Christ to the greatest ending of any story ever told. Themes of sacrifice and good triumphing over evil prevail throughout the film, but tucked away in an unlikely place is a fascinating object that just happens to be called The Resurrection Stone.
In the HP world, this magical talisman gives the owner the ability to “bring back the dead”…sort of. You can conjure up the deceased and have a convo, but they are just shades and apparitions of their true selves. According to the legend, the original owner of the stone took his own life because it didn’t fully return his fiancée who had died.
In the Harry Potter world, when you say “goodbye” to someone at death, it really is forever. Despite all the power and magic that exists in Rowling’s fantasy world, there exists no spell or ability to resurrect someone completely from the dead.
But in our very real world, there is another “resurrection stone” of sorts. It isn’t a magical object, rather it is a 4000 pound boulder used to seal up the grave of Jesus Christ after He was crucified on the cross. It was guarded by dozens of professional Roman soldiers who would be executed if they failed in their duty. This is the stone that symbolized the victory that evil had over good on the darkest Friday night in history and showed the world that Jesus was either a liar or a lunatic…until:
Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared. When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, and they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? Jesus isn’t here! He has been raised from death. Remember that while he was still in Galilee, he told you, ‘The Son of Man will be handed over to sinners who will nail him to a cross. But three days later he will rise to life.’ ” Then they remembered what Jesus had said (Luke 24:1-8).
It was the rock that was rolled away by the power of God, and it became the resurrection stone that now testified to the fact that Jesus is alive and death was forever defeated! But more than that, it was proof that for the believers in Christ, our end is only our beginning:
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
And there is one more resurrection stone that awaits all Christians:
To everyone who wins the victory I will give a white stone with a new name written on it (Revelation 2:17).
This is a future promise from Jesus Christ that when we are resurrected from the dead, we will get a stone with our heavenly name written on it! How sick is that???
So…goodbye Harry Potter and the gang, thanks for the decade of fun – but thank you most of all for reminding me that the real resurrection stone is proof that death is not the end for me, and that goodbyes for Christians are never forever. I’m a part of THE Cause – the gospel story that will never have a final chapter!
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
Pretty much every teenager on the planet knows about Harry Potter, so the release of the last movie provides an amazing and rare opportunity to share the gospel when talking about the film -especially when you consider all the Biblical themes found in the story. Look for the open doors God gives you to live out THE Cause during this season of Pottermania.
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Jesus, your desire is that the message of Your resurrection is extended to every person on earth. Give me the eyes to see and the courage to speak the truth of the gospel when I am with my friends. Use this movie to bring up conversations about Your amazing triumph over death.
Read:Romans 10:9-10. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Get: Familiarize yourself with the evidences for the resurrection by reading this short article: You Can Bet Your Life on It!