Confronting death

     Friday I contributed to a statistic.  I was one of a "few" people in the U.S. who helped set a record first day opening of a movie.  "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" brought in a total of $92.1 million on Friday, with $43.5 million in midnight showings alone. Add to that $157.5 million worldwide since Wednesday, and the total is $250 million.  I have some friends whom I drive bonkers with my love of the Harry Potter series, both books and movies.  A review of Cindy Wooden for the Catholic News Service quotes a review in the Vatican Newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that says that the film(s) teach that "it's possible to change the world.  It is Harry, with his inseparable friends, who demonstrates that it is possible to vanquish evil and establish peace.  Power, success and an easy life do not bring the truest and deepest joys.  For that we need friendship, self-giving, sacrifice and attachment to a truth that is not formed in man's image."

    For Harry Potter fans, I liked the movie.  It was dark and filled with tragedy and death, but it brought the story to a good conclusion.

     One of the reasons for mentioning my Friday experience was because during the film, after the violent deaths of some key players, there was someone a few rows behind me that began weeping, and continued uncontrollably for a prolonged time.  Judging from the tone of the sound, it was probably a young girl.  It became distracting and annoying after awhile.  I wanted to say: "Get a grip.  It is only a movie.  They're only characters."  But then I began to think.

     Those deaths on film, of "old friends" from the series, killed violently in the struggle between good and evil, even brought a tear to my eye.  Yet here was someone weeping with abandon.  Why?  Probably this person, in fact, many of the young Harry Potter devotees, have rarely experienced death, especially violent death, to this degree.  These were friends in the mind and imagination who were wiped out.  I can't imagine what it must be like for a young person to have to deal with that.  It caused me to be patient and a little more understanding.  Death is all too often unreal for the young.  Our love and understanding are needed to help them see beyond the loss, to see the future possibilities, to see life continuing.  The series does that ... after all that death and destruction and the overcoming of the forces of the dark lord, we see 19 years into the future, with a new generation leaving for Hogwarts, the children of Harry & Ginny and Ron & Hermione and Draco.  Life rebuilds and goes on, fears are reassured, and, as in Harry's case, love triumphs.

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     I'm off today on an adventure.  I will be travelling to Louisville, Kentucky for the National Pastoral Musicians annual Convention with some of our music ministers.  Now, before you chuckle or express wonder at my being on this trip, ignore the third word of the title (musician) and focus on the second (pastoral).  Those that know me will realize the stretch at my being at a "music convention".   I'm looking forward to this week.  This year's gathering promises to be important because of the upcoming revised translations in the liturgy.  I hope to do some reporting from there, but I'm not sure of my technical abilities.  Say a prayer, and hope the posts keep coming your way.