Harry Potter chronicles battle between good, evil

    With all of the hype surrounding the final “Harry Potter” film and the epic battle between “The Boy Who Lived” and “He Who Must Not Be Named,” it’s easy to see how the battle between good and evil attracts all people. We see this battle in almost every storyline, every movie – the good guy versus the bad guy. In almost all of these scenarios, the hero outshines the villain.
    Certainly, there are some who object to the magical overtones in the novels as being unfit for children. However, if we look further at the story, the themes of good versus evil and redemption are being carried out in each story. For example, when Harry’s mother gives her life for her son, we are reminded of Jesus’ death on the cross. That same reminder shines forth when Harry gives his life after realizing that he is a horcrux. We hear of sacrifice and renewal over and over in the stories.
    Yet, the battle between good and evil is not only in fiction. The battle is carried out in reality as well. Each day that we wake up, there is always evil present in the world, striving to outshine the good. If we look at the world today, signs of evil abound: war, decline in the sanctity of marriage and family life, natural disasters, famine – the list goes on.
    Today evil is lurking everywhere because the devil is very cunning. We are all aware of temptations, of our free will to choose between sinning and living as Jesus did. And we all sin because we are human, but we must be aware of the choices we make and the actions we choose.
    It’s important also to remember that we should not live in fear because we have a loving and forgiving God who, through the sacrament of reconciliation, reconciles our sins and forgives those who are truly repentant. We also can find solace in the fact that, as my brother always says, the battle has already been won – Jesus has triumphed over the devil. We believe “he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again.”
    Just as in the movies, we too must remember that the hero always wins. We have many trials in front of us. There will always be nonbelievers and those who deny the dignity and sanctity of the church and the church’s teachings. But it is our job to stand firm, to hold all the church’s teachings in our hearts so that we too can overcome temptation.
    Jesus knew that his disciples and followers would need guidance as he ascended back into heaven – that is why he gave us the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, to guide and protect his church on earth.
    It’s interesting to look on all of our favorite movies and stories and see just how frequently the theme of good versus evil appears. Perhaps we should do the same in our lives and continue following our faith and trusting in God to lead us from temptation.
    Heather Bozant can be reached at [email protected].