When I was a kid Superman and Luke Skywalker were the mythological heroes of the day. Today, we see fantastical wizards like Harry Potter capturing the attention of the next generation.
It is tempting to blame Hollywood for birthing a renewed
interest in this witchcraft-laden genre that leads kids into
a supernatural world that God forbids. Instead of finger
pointing and blame shifting, however, we need to arm our
kids with the truth and believe that the Holy Spirit will
give them the ability to discern between the righteous and
the wicked.
Equipping kids with spiritual truth begins at home and
continues in the local church. Unfortunately, it seems many
of us have failed at some level to do the equipping. We need
to exalt Jesus with as much fervor and zeal as Hollywood
exalts kid wizards. How can kids make the right decision
when they don't have the whole truth and nothing but the
truth, so help them God, laid out before them? We can't
ignore or condemn Harry Potter. We need to offer kids what
they are really looking for: answers.
Indeed, kids are searching for spiritual answers, often in
all the wrong places. This is not merely my opinion.
Research backs it up. More than four out of five teenagers
have personally read or watched Harry Potter material,
according to a recent study conducted by the Barna Group. In
fact, exposure to Harry Potter - including reading at least
one book or watching at least one movie - has doubled in the
last three years.
Barna reports that the vast majority of teens - regardless
of gender, ethnicity, faith, or other characteristics - has
been personally exposed to Harry's witchcrafts. Even a large
majority of teenagers from groups that have objected most
stridently to the stories of wizards and witchcraft have
indulged in this fantasy world. Three-quarters of all
church-going teens and born again Christian teenagers have
seen or read Potter, according to Barna's study.
How deep is the influence of Harry Potter, you ask? Barna
asked the same question. What he discovered is disturbing.
One out of every eight teenagers said that the Potter
chronicles increased their interest in witchcraft. That
translates to nearly 3 million young people whose interest
in divination has been piqued. If we could get that many
lost youth to express the same interest in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, we could truly launch an international
revolution.
Barna took the study a step further, exploring the
engagement in a dozen different witchcraft and
psychic-related activities by youth that had been exposed to
Harry Potter. Those exposed to Potter were more likely to
use a Ouija board, to have had their fortune told, and to
believe they personally have psychic powers. Those not
exposed to Potter were actually more likely to say they have
been physically present when someone else tried to use
psychic powers. Can you see what the devil is doing with our
kids?!
Guess what? We can’t just blame the devil. Change begins
with us. Despite widespread exposure to the Potter story, a
meager 4 percent of teens say they have experienced any
teaching or discussions in a church about the spiritual
themes embedded in the wizard-in-training legend. Among born
again teens, only 13 percent recalls ever receiving any
input from their church on the subject or spiritual themes
of Harry Potter.
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Parents are somewhat more likely than churches to address
the spiritual themes of Potter with their children. However,
only one-fifth of all teens and one-third of born again
Christian teens said they had discussed the supernatural
elements of Harry Potter with their parents. What does this
mean? It means we are standing idly by and allowing Harry
Potter’s witchcrafts to influence our kids.
Barna Group Vice President David Kinnaman puts the Harry
Potter phenomenon into perspective: “While the vast majority
of teenagers and adolescents find entertainment value in
Potter, most Christian leaders and parents have responded by
either condemning the series or ignoring it. That response
hasn’t worked because most teens still consume the stories –
along with dozens more like it – but without the critical
input that would help them make sense of the supernatural
dimension described in the Potter universe.”
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What can we do about this witchcraft mess? I agree with
Kinnaman, who suggests parents and youth leaders take to
heart Jesus’ instruction that believers should be “in, but
not of” the world. I agree with his view that the teenage
years are an important transition from the leadership of
parents to independence and reliance upon God.
“Instead of simply trying to isolate children from all the
spiritually dangerous material available in our
media-saturated culture, parents could prepare their kids to
be missionaries to their peers and to our society. Even
though the approach and even the outcome will look different
for every teen, helping teens to respond biblically to the
messages of popular culture – such as those found in Harry
Potter – is an important function of parents and church
leaders,” Kinnaman said.
Once again, I agree. We need to understand that there is
pressure in the world and kids who normally don’t even like
fantasy movies might go along with the crowd. It’s our job
to help kids interpret the information they are receiving so
they can respond in a Christ-like manner. Look, most kids
today are probably going to watch Harry Potter. The after
school program at my daughter’s school showed the film. She
wouldn’t watch it – and she knew why because strong
Christians had explained the spiritual dynamics behind it.
When she knew the truth, she didn’t want to watch it.
Barna’s Kinnaman seals the argument nicely: “The Bible notes
that believers should always be ready to answer questions
about their faith whenever people ask. While not minimizing
the spiritual danger of stories like Harry Potter, the
upside of such content is that it raises questions of
purpose, destiny, relationships, isolation, redemption,
spiritual power and more – the very topics that are so
important to the message of Christianity. But, as things
stand, many parents and church leaders are letting those
spiritual opportunities go to waste.”
Let’s not let spiritual opportunities go to waste. Let’s
take what the devil means for harm and turn it to good.
Let’s talk openly with our kids so they can have the truth
that will set them free from peer pressure to follow after
that which is not pleasing to God. Let’s take on the
responsibility of raising up the next generation the right
way.
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