I read this at the end of a series of 'health' articles in the Times last weekend. It reminded me so much of what we have been communicating about being provocative Christians:
I was standing in the queue at midnight waiting with my daughter to buy a copy of the final Harry Potter book. It was cold and I was tired. There was a man offering hot coffee at a stall nearby. How enterprising, I thought. I went to the stall to get a coffee. "How much?" I asked. "It's free," the man replied. Looking down, I noticed a flyer for a Christian group on the stall. "But you want some sort of donation, right?" "No," said the man, "it's free." "Why would you give coffee away for free? What's in it for you?" I asked. The man just smiled. I took my free coffee. I've been thinking about that smile for six months, trying to figure it out.
2 comments:
Great piece of love in action.
On a slightly divergent note...
I found the recent programme about a year in the life of JK Rowling very interesting. I knew almost nothing about her life before watching it. I was not surprised to learn of her Christian roots, nor that she does believe in God. There is plenty of evidence of her knowledge of the bible in her books.
The Potter books are an introduction into the occult, and we know from God's Word in the Bible how He feels about such things:
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,
20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),
21 Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Potter books make absolutely no mention of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Salvation through faith. They instead offer the following:
1. A vision of a better world: link main characters to pagan practices.
2. Rebellion against Biblical authorities: link traditional authority figures to intolerant "muggles."
3. An idealized view of paganism: link occult images to "good" wizards.
4. A pagan alternative to Christian values: link courage and loyalty to a common quest for occult empowerment.
5. Mystical experiences that excite the emotions: link "good" spells to victory in the timeless battle between good and evil.
Belief in God is not so unusual, indeed only a fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1, 53:1); even the devil and the demons believe:
James 2:19
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!
Yes, there is evidence of biblical knowledge in the Potter books, but the same can be said of Mein Kampf...so be very careful of what you see and hear:
1 John 4:1
1 BELOVED, DO not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
2 By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source];
3 And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world.
Post a Comment