Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2022 Blog #35
September 5, 2022
Summer Cinema Scenes in 10 parts
Part 10 Harry Potter
“Having something worth living for”
JK Rowling’s book series Harry Potter took our nation by storm in the 1990’s. From 2001-2011 there were eight movies made from these seven books. My daughters enjoyed reading these books as well as watching the movies. I don’t think that they, or anyone else, enjoyed them more than I did.
If you don’t know the story, Harry Potter as an infant, survived an attack by the evil wizard, Voldemort. Throughout the books, Voldemort and his followers continue to pursue Harry while other people seek to protect him. Even as a young boy and a student at the Hogwarts school of Wizardry, he seems to have an amazing ability to escape death. Voldemort is very powerful and it would seem obvious that he could prevail against young Harry. Yet, Harry survives dozens of dangerous situations.
During one confrontation between the two, Voldemort in frustration, rages at Harry, “Why do you live?” Harry is quick to reply, “Because I have something worth living for.”
Do you know a “Harry Potter?” I do. Over the course of my years I have met many people who have had great calamities and yet they simply seem to shake them off and move forward. These calamities might be accidents or illnesses. Friends and neighbors assumed that the illnesses would be fatal but they were not. How is it that some people appear to survive anything and others can succumb to what appeared to be a minor difficulty. I don’t believe that having a reason to live is the only factor in longevity, but I am sure that it is one important factor. I am told also that a reason to live is a factor in happiness as well. People without reason to live very often suffer from depression.
How many reasons do we have to live? What are these reasons? Do we live for family, for work, to travel? Do we live for God? I have read many articles that claim that people affiliated with church live longer than those who are not so affiliated. Perhaps when we are active church participants we learn to live for God, the church community, the higher causes of justice and righteousness and, if we are lucky enough to have family members in church with us, we live for family as well.
I encourage everyone to become active in a faith community. You will find many things that “are worth living for.”
I have something worth living for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBRfVbP1cyo
Pastor Mark Author 