For years, evangelical leaders proclaimed that Christians shouldn’t read Harry Potter or watch the movies. Lest his superpowers provoke our children to become witches and wizards. (Curiously, the moralists aren’t outraged by the magic in Chronicles of Narnia or the powers of Superman.)

The real issue is a lack of imagination. The ring in Lord of the Rings isn’t really about the ring. The Veggies in VeggieTales isn’t really about the vegetables. The magic in Harry Potter isn’t really about the magic.

It’s art.

Art (and stories) often use symbolism and metaphor to communicate something else. This is what makes the fantasy and superhero genre so popular. People enjoy searching for meaning. And there’s plenty of it in Harry Potter.

That said, I’m not going to say yes or no to Harry Potter. I’m not a moralist. I’m a Christian. I would say go with your conscience.

I do believe God is a big God and that every story, intentional or not, is wrapped up in his story. We just need the eyes to see it.

Besides, the real danger of Mr. Potter doesn’t lie in his magic.

It lies in his influence on culture through fashion:

The dark-rimmed glasses.

Its obvious there’s a grand conspiracy and no one is safe.

Especially the hipsters.

This atrocity must stop.

For the sake of the children.

From the J.R.R. Tolkien classic, The Return of the King:

“But Sam lay back, and started with open mouth, and for a moment, between bewilderment and great joy, he could not answer. At last has gasped: “Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?”

“A great shadow has departed,” said Gandalf, and then he laughed and the sound was like music, or water in a parched land; and as he listened the thought came to Sam that he had not heard laughter, the pure sound of merriment, for days upon days without count. It fell upon his ears like the echo of all the joys he had ever known. But he himself burst into tears. Then as sweet rain will pass down a wind of spring and the sun will shine out the clearer, his tears ceased, and his laughter welled up, and laughing he sprang from his bed.

“How do I feel?” he cried. “Well I don’t know how to say it. I feel, I feel” – he waved his arms in the air – “I feel like spring after winter, and sun on the leaves; and like trumpets and harps and all the songs I have ever heard!”’

“Behold, I am making all things new.” – Jesus (Revelation 21:5)

“Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!”

That was the sound we were greeted to when we arrived at the movie theater where our church meets. During the course of our gathering, we had a bird flying through the lobby, a bird flying over the theater seats ready to drop bombs, and three baby birds drop from the ceiling onto the stage where I was preaching.

Crazy.

Somehow, these birds found a home and today, the birds revolted against the humans who dared intrude upon their space.  Fortunately, we had a seasoned pro in our midst. A first-timer in fact, who handled the baby birds and made sure they were properly removed. He immediately earned the nickname, “The Birdman.”

Again, crazy.

I’m pretty sure I was the only preacher in America who had baby birds falling around him on stage. The amazing part, after all of this craziness, three people began a relationship with Jesus during our gathering. How about that?

But that’s the way it goes in church planting, and in life.

Sometimes, it’s the crazy events that lead to something amazing.

Reading through the gospels, it occurred to me that Jesus wouldn’t be accepted by much of the Christian culture of today. Most churches wouldn’t hire him, conferences would overlook him, bloggers would take shots at him, evangelicals would be offended by him.  He would be criticized, rejected, or ignored by the establishment for being too much this or not enough that.

Surely we’ve evolved in the last two thousand years? But alas, it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Here are some things off the top of my head that would get Jesus in trouble today:

• His idea of leadership was to serve. (Matthew 20:20-28, John 13:1-17)
• He mocks and talks harshly to religious leaders in public. (Matthew 23)
• He was alone with a woman he was not married to. (John 4:1-42)
• He befriended and partied with hookers and drunks. (Luke 7:34)
• He was arrested. (Matthew 26:50)
• He wasn’t us vs. them.  (Matthew 5:13-16, John 17:15-18)
• His ministry didn’t launch large in a big city. (Mark 1:16-20, Luke 1:46)
• He let his feelings show. (John 11:35, Mark 14:32-36)
• His passion was more for the one who was lost than for many who were found. (Luke 15)
• He didn’t see politics as the primary way to create change. (John 18:28-40)
• He didn’t choose the best and brightest to be in his circle. (Luke 5:1-11)
• He was homeless. (Matthew 8:20)
• He cared about meeting the tangible needs of this world rather than escaping it. (Matthew 25:31-46)
• He elevated the status of women in society and ministry. (Luke 10:38-42)
• He wasn’t big on dressing up to look more sophisticated and impressive. (Mark 12:38)
• He was more shock jock than he was politically correct. (Matthew 21: 12-13, Mark 8:33, Luke 9:41)
• He didn’t have a five-year plan. (Matthew 6:34)
• His words weren’t always easy to understand. (Luke 18:34)
• He didn’t go to seminary. (Matthew 21:23-27)
• His measure for success was not popularity or attendance. (John 6:60-70, Matthew 25:23)
• He was controversial (Luke 6:1-11)

What do you think? Am I wrong? How do you think Jesus would be treated by the Christian community today? Could he be a pastor in your church? Is there anything to be learned by this?