Secret Fantasies

So A is going to be Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter movies/books for Halloween. She is homeschooled, so she won't get much of a chance to show off her costume. The Wed before Halloween is "dress-up" day at the homeschool co-op. It's a Christian co-op, so knowing that the whole "Harry Potter" thing is a hot-button topic for many Christians, I asked the co-op president if A could wear her costume. I wanted to get her thoughts since she has more of a pulse of the whole co-op. I didn't want to offend anyone. (At least not much.)

The reply was something to the effect that "I know your family is really into fantasy" but anything to do with magic or whatever is inappropriate. A simple "no" would have sufficed. Instead, it felt like I got reprimanded for our family choices in entertainment; that we aren't "really" Christian. I'm pretty sure that's not what she meant exactly, but that's what it felt like.

I have to admit, I've felt a little nervous about the whole Harry Potter thing, but interestingly enough, not because I find anything morally wrong with it in and of itself, but rather that we have to "hide" it from our Christian friends. We DO like fantasy: CS Lewis, Tolkien, Harry Potter, Dragons, Fairy Tales, Super Heroes etc... Most of the time it is morally neutral (what we allow our kids and ourselves to see) and sometimes it is even morally uplifting. A has actually been told by a little girl that they can't be friends because of something I let A read. (The mom never told the girl to say this.)

I often feel isolated in Christian community. I hear about "home groups" who have a special kind of closeness and support, but when we've tried to become involved, we're either too "bookish" or too "liberal" or we make people uncomfortable by trying to go deeper than the usual "Christian" answers that we've heard all our life. (Brad got slapped down by proposing that disease isn't evil, but neutral. It's something that we had been talking about in "point of view". Perhaps we are evil for eradicating certain germs: we're killing an entire species with malice towards it. Anyway, Brad was shot down and I was proud of him for not trying to defend himself against the vitriol of the other person.)

I don't really feel like I fit anywhere besides Brad. I am fortunate to have a new friend of the last couple of years who doesn't always agree with me, but she thinks with me and enjoys fantasy also.

When I find an author who is detrimental to my faith, I avoid him/her. Philip Pullman is one. Anything in the romance genre is bad for me. (Why make myself discontented with my happy everyday life with my perfect husband?)

So what am I going to do with A's costume? We're going to cover up the Gryffindor crest and she's going as a monk. If I can find a bald head wig, I'll get it and glue a fur piece in the form of a tonsure. She can be Hermione at the church sponsored party.