the book that inspired the world...

Before I begin, let me clarify. I am an extrovert (Myers-Briggs "E"). I delight in being in large swarms of people, even if I am not participating in the swarmation. I receive energy from other people, and more specifically, from their enthusiasm. So last night, despite the fact that I am not an avid Harry Potter fan, someone said party, and so I went!

In my defense, I have actually read the books, but my fanaticism is rather controlled, compared to some of the extravagance that I witnessed last night. The best I could do was a half-hearted joke about the "leaky cauldron" when the pot brewing my coffee boiled over due to lack of attention by the barista. Others in my company were fully decked out with purple hair, fake eyes, capes, scarves, and broomsticks galore. And, ne'er let me forget the small child who had actually attempted to elongate his ears, so that he would appear more house-elvish. Some hundreds of people packed into Barnes and Noble to await the release of book number 7. The angst was audible and the enthusiasm contagious.

As the folks lined up to receive their coveted volume, and the countdown to midnight concluded, I separated myself from the mayhem and moved into the fresh air outside to observe people as they exited the store. I find joy contagious, and good golly there was plenty of it last night! People were shouting and jumping as they passed through the wooden gates! YES! FINALLY! MINE! Now, gentle reader, I ask you, when before has a book ever inspired such a wide spread response, from the old, the young, the odd, the cool, the uncool, the avid readers and the non-readers? J.K. Rowling is not perhaps the most eloquent of writers-- in fact her style often leaves something to be desired in terms of grammar and structure. She is not proposing a radical new concept or mindset. She is not out to change the world. What is it about her books that is captivating? Simply put, she tells a story. She draws us in. She woos us, with a tale that speaks to both our dreams (yes, dreams) and reality. Her characters are simple; we can relate to them. Yet at the same time, they possess the ability to do magic and defy reality. J.K.Rowling is a story teller who knows how to speak to an audience, old and young, that has not outgrown their desire for pretend, to imagine, to be an ordinary extraordinary hero. Side, note, how would one address Ms. Rowling? I, for one, would always feel as if I was speaking in www jargon... ::valley girl accent:: "So, JK, tell me about things?" "JK, as I was saying..."

As people left the store, some of them flipped to the final pages, to "see how it all ends." (Side note, this drives me NUTS!) Others plugged their ears so that they would not accidentally hear any spoilers shouting out the secrets of the epic. Still others clutched the book to their chests, as if it would sprout wings and fly away (muttering under their breath "my own, my precious"?). I started thinking, as I giggled at their profundity, how often this is our approach to life. Many of us desperately want to figure out "how it all ends", so that we can live our lives in peace. We are anxious to jump to the conclusion, skipping all the steps along the way, so that we can live in the ending itself. Others plug their ears, not wanting to hear anything about the ending, in the fear that it might not be what they are wanting or hoping for. And others cling so tightly to life, that they are unwilling truly to live it, because merely possessing it is sufficient for their contentment.

As believers, we have the inside glimpse. We know the ending of the story; we have already read the final chapter. In fact, we know the author personally, and it was He who told us the conclusion to the book. Yet, while that part of the tale is partly "already" here, it is also partly "not yet." Thus, we sit down to read the rest of the story... to live our lives... day to day. We have to have all the chapters which come before the ending, in order for the book to be complete. In gospel terms, you cannot have the resurrection without the crucifixion. You cannot jump immediately to heaven from earth, without Jesus in the middle. Nor can we avoid living our lives here on earth in the meantime. We are not quite yet boxed up and waiting for heaven; there is work to be done here on earth. Nor can we ignore the fact that the end is coming; plugging ones ears does no good. Inevitably, while the question of Harry's imminent death is still unanswered, ours is not. We will all die, and ultimately, we all have a faith decision which must be made. Nor can you simply possess life, and not live it; this is to deny the abundant freedom which we have been given! There is so much more to the life that God has given us, that He delights to bless us with. So, dig deeper.

So, what do we do now? We know the ending... now read the book. Live in abundant freedom. Live in the good and the bad. Your true Author will never let you fall. The ending is unchanging. And the tale is fascinating.... so live it out! As for Harry Potter, I continue to plug away...Or, as they say, I just keeps on Rowling Rowling Rowling...