Did I mention that I often read more than one book at a time?
Sounds like an eclectic reading list, nu?
The biography of Rabbi Nesser has obvious spiritual overtones, and Karamazov is a recognized classic of proto-existentialism, but what the heck is Harry Potter doing there?
The Potter books, like most fantasy, involve a classic battle between good and evil. And, as in most fantasy, good typically wins. Order of the Phoenix, the most recent entry, is famously darker than its predecessors. But the novel still ended, for me, with a hint of hope. And, let's face it, if the series ends with the bad guy winning, there's going to be a slew of upset parents and children in the world.
Harry Potter, or the good guys, will probably ultimately win. But Harry Potter is decidedly not the same boy we started the series with. In this latest novel, I kept wondering why his friends stick around. The boy is described as shouting, or snapping at, his friends on a frequent basis. Why do they stick with him?
It turns out that Potter has some sort of psychic connection with the dark wizard, Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents. So he is being infected by evil, in a manner of speaking. This explains Harry's petulant behavior to the reader, but the other characters don't know about it until a little half-way through the novel.
For me, this is where spirituality becomes practical.
For in pondering why people would put up with Harry Potter, even though he's often unpleasant, I have to wonder why people put up with me — even though I have my unpleasant moments. We're buds, right? I can be as honest and self-revealing as I dare?
Alright. I am still learning to manage my temper. I've learned the triggers, I've learned some appropriate ways to express the true feelings anger so often masks (fear, insecurity, etc). But I still have a ways to go. It's common that I think I've got it mastered, when it comes out sideways in some wild passive-aggressive manner.
Yet, people still call me friend. They still care for me, flashes of anger and all.
This came home to me recently. Following a meeting of the group that arranged the Faith Sharing event for convention, I admitted I was the most overly-serious person in the group. And Gayle said, "I know James; I love you anyway."
Prior to this time, I hadn't considered Gayle more than a casual friend. But, to hear her say she loved me (in that agape Christian sense, no doubt) - a door opened in my heart.
People like me for what I am most of the time. They don't judge me for what I'm like when I'm under pressure. And you know what? I'm probably not as bad under pressure as I think. Some people have even told me I chair a pretty good meeting (if you want it to end on time, I'm your man).
I really do try to accept people right where they're at. If they tell me something about themselves, or their goals, I tend to believe them. I give folk the benefit of the doubt until the preponderance of evidence convinces me otherwise.
I suppose the characters in the Harry Potter books like him for who he is most of the time. The reader is just seeing how he responds under pressure. But, in theory, the other characters see him at times the reader does not. They see him in class. They know he treats people with respect. They admire his knowledge, and his willingness to share it.
Not a bad way to travel in the world.
Nu?
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