Maybe it’s the fact that college football and the NFL are kicking off soon, but I really enjoyed everything about the Triwizard tournament in these chapters of The Goblet of Fire. These chapters didn’t reveal too much about the Death Eaters and Voldemort’s plans but it was still my favorite part of the book so far.
Below are some thoughts I had while reading chapters 20-25 of The Goblet of Fire.
What Are You Good At?
I loved the first task in the Triwizard Tournament. J.K. Rowling does a great job of getting into the psyche of Harry, with his fear and anticipation. Perhaps I like that part of Rowling’s writing because I feel the same fear and anticipation when coming up on a trying task or difficult conversation. In preparation for the task of getting by a dragon, Moody gave Harry the best advice of playing to his strength of flying on a broom. Harry did what he was good at and succeeded. When looking at how to succeed and invest in the kingdom of God, we not only have to look at what we’re good at but also how we’re gifted. God has given each of us spiritual gifts that we can use to build and edify the church. Our gifts may not be as exciting as flying on a broom, but they can help us find fulfillment and satisfaction when serving God’s kingdom. If we’re not gifted in something then we shouldn’t try to serve in that way; it’d be like putting a round peg in a Borg cube-shaped hole. Instead we should learn how we’re gifted and serve out of those gifts.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
I’m always amazed at how much play Christmas gets in Harry Potter. I heard about all the uproar over the evils of Harry Potter long before I read the books. From what I heard I thought that J.K. Rowling not only wrote about magic and wizards but also had a Gene Roddenberry-esque view of religion. In every book so far, though, the students at Hogwarts celebrate Christmas, exchange gifts and even get a vacation. And in The Goblet of Fire, more than in any of the first books, Christmas takes on an even bigger role. In this book most of the students stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and suits of armor sing “O Come, All Ye Faithful”. I understand why some Christians are opposed to Harry Potter and I can’t argue with their decision not to read the books or watch the movies. I get excited, though, when we can find God’s truth in the most unexpected places, like magic suits of armor at a wizard school singing Christmas carols.
Dating
Harry and Ron trying to find dates for the Yule Ball was my favorite part of the entire series up to this point. The torment of wanting to ask a girl and working up the courage to do so is something to which every nerd can relate. I remember making myself sick before asking a girl to homecoming when I was a sophomore. Fortunately for me, I had better luck than Harry did – at least for my sophomore homecoming. Getting rejected is bad but not nearly as bad as the torment leading up to asking someone on a date. Sometimes waiting is the worst part but God will often call us to wait. Other times, though, we wait when we really just need to step out in faith and do something. We need wisdom and discernment to know when to wait or when to step, but no matter how scary the step looks, it can end up being a lot better than waiting.
I’m at the point of The Goblet of Fire when things have really picked up and I just want to keep reading instead of writing. I’m excited to see what happens in the next task of the Tournament and to see how God’s truth is seeping through Harry Potter’s wizarding world.
What are some of your reflections from chapters 20-25 of The Goblet of Fire?
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