Unity: Our Defense Against the Dark Arts
by Mia Burke
The Great Hall. Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash.
Great mahogany doors split, creaking open on ancient hinges. Throngs of students mill about in the misty, dark, early morning courtyard. They pour forth into the fracture- pushing, scuffling. Some unwilling to enter, hang back- then reluctantly follow the growing crowd through the doors. After a moment of inky blackness, softly illuminated candles float down from high above, casting enough dim light on the gray flagstone floors for thousands, maybe more, filing towards ancient alder benches lined in neat rows through the great passage up the middle. I follow the crowd of chattering students, the air palpable with anticipation, uncertainty, all in wait- but for what?
A hollow, hushed voice barely audible rises from a low dais ahead, “Quiet. Still. Find your seat. We’re about to begin.” We strain to hear. We ask our fellow students, “What did they say? What did you hear?” Anxiety, excitement, anticipation, uncertainty crackles through the crowd as we attempt to settle ourselves on the uncomfortable, creaking ancient seats. The voice continues to call out low, vague instructions long after we’ve sat- the wait is unbearable. Start already!
We wait. We wait. We wait. A 7th year girl from the back yells, “Come on!” Everyone turns, she blanches in embarrassment. We wait some more. A gaggle of 2nd year boys from the middle rows begins chanting a somewhat familiar but out-of-place-for-this-time quidditch chorus. Loud shushes respond, they quiet down.
An ancient man with flowing robes, white beard, and half-moon spectacles strides across the dais at the front of the Great Hall. He grips the lectern that looks as if it was made around the same time the firmament separated from the expanse in the age of primordial earth. He holds either side of the podium, and waits. A deep, steady voice comes from everywhere at once, simply states, "It is time."
Time for what? Students look from one to another, questioning the enigmatic statement. Welcome to April 2020. The current state of our world and the church feels much like the first day at Hogwarts. God's people have been called into the Great Hall, awaiting a move of God. We're in a selah moment, awaiting God's word for the new season to unfold. No one, not even our professors, know where we are in history much less the season that lies before us. We've all been reduced to students awaiting our headmaster's next words.
Hogwarts. Photo by Christian Wagner on Unsplash.
I feel like a 5th year Ravenclaw desperately trying to interpret what I'm seeing around me, and I can't. My headmaster is unfathomable, though I know his voice and heartbeat. In some odd way, it's reassuring, regardless that he hasn't spoken yet. He's got things under control, and he's much wiser than I. For a Ravenclaw, that's comforting.
But I observe my fellow houses: the Hufflepuffs, content to be about their own business, the Gryffindors ready to spring into action, anticipating a challenge, raring to go. They’re rambunctious, they’re courageous, but I feel trapped in an unfamiliar place and it makes me uncomfortable and irritated. Yet, I need their bravery for change to occur. While I see things as a puzzle needing solving, preferring to stand on the sidelines and analyze, they’re ready for a fight.
Let us journey through the Houses together as we wait on our Headmaster, looking at our generations (the Houses) and igniting the fires of revival sure to come in this next season.
The Great House of Gryffindor
Gryffindors are my two surrounding generational compatriots- Baby Boomers and Millennials who came of age in eerily similar times- political unrest, insecure economic times, with scandal-filled cracking of established institutions.
Delving into the deluge of data on Boomers and emerging factoids/prophecies about the newly adulting Millennials, a few key elements set both groups apart from other generations- and surprisingly ties them together. Both groups:
Have a heart to change the world, “right the wrongs”
Optimistic
Group-oriented, value community
Have a strong desire, bordering on need to be valued/validated
They’re the courageous, determined Gryffindors. On the one hand, this is excellent: two generations of optimists striving to create equality, opportunities in an unjust, unloving world as other Houses are content to stand on the fringes of the fight. On the other, they’re too much alike, and it’s frustrating to watch them interact (or not).
Judgy and Leadership-Aversive Ravenclaws
Ravenclaw description by the Sorting Hat. Graphic courtesy of Ayla Roback.
Ravenclaws are in-between, the Gen Xers standing on the sidelines: refusing to take leadership and making aloof judgments about the previous and subsequent Gryffindors. However, we fail to consider that these two generations, independent from each other, are double the size of ours. And more importantly, they are the decision-makers of today and will be those of our tomorrow. We are living in a time where our voice has little impact against the sheer numbers of Gryffindors, voting and shaping the ethos and values of our times.
Our TBD HufflePuffs
Hufflepuff description by the Sorting Hat. Graphic courtesy of Ayla Roback.
There isn’t sufficient descriptive data to determine the defining characteristics nor personality of Gen Z. We know for the most part they’re conservative financially, highly individualistic, pluralistic and sensitive to other’s emotions and inclusive. However, they are disengaged from their part to play. Our beloved Huffs are on the fringes of adulthood so they’re somewhat yet to be determined- sorry guys, but hang in there with me.
Priming for A House Tournament? Anticipating Another Great Move of the Spirit
We’re living in unstable times: change is here. And with quarantining and the subsequent fallout, it is undeniably here. Consider the ethos or zeitgeist of our times: disillusionment under the crashing realization we have made quite a mess. Yet we keep reverting to that pesky humanism that quirky-ily believes we can get ourselves out of it. We are generationaly fighting for bragging rights of the House Cup (let me cast an alohomora- let’s drop politics as the answer to our problems) when we’re missing that there’s a much bigger thing going on around us- a war with the Death Eaters, led by Voldemort.Let us not be the head-in-the-sand Ministry of Magic.
The 60s “Love everybody,” “Make love not war” ideal didn’t (and still doesn’t) withstand our humanity. We’re human, self-centered. We find ourselves deep in the mire of postmodernism (culturally, as a church, and personally).
We’ve lost the meaning of our words- they’ve become slippery platitudes. Meaning is what we make of it.
We’ve lost sight of the fact we’re a part of a bigger story. Life isn’t all about us; we’re part of a metanarrative in the winding river of reality and time.
We’ve forgotten that there is only one truth, buying the lie of perspectives, feelings, and experience as a basis for reality.
But I’m not here to belabor the finer points of postmodernism; I’m just painting the picture of today and reflecting on a few of the broad strokes that have gotten us to a reality riddled with anxiety, disillusionment, and let’s be honest, into a culture of death.
Slytherin. Photo by Rhii Photography on Unsplash.
But God.
Our Headmaster is never far. He’s not an absent Dumbledore, scampering about following clues, desperately attempting to stay one step ahead of Voldemort in the vain hope of one day thwarting him. No, He’s a very astute, involved leader with a firm plan and timeline. A skim through the Bible or a tour of history proves that He is in control and always has a plan.
Enter, revival. Hope that our adrift ship can and will turn around, and humanity has a bit more time to evolve into bigger and better things. With a shared feeling of the world imploding- bordering on destruction, studies suggest that there is a great “world cycle,” which occurs in Western Civilization in regards to revival.
Recognition of a Deep Need: Culture recognizing its lack.
Our desperate need for something. We walk around with gaping holes in our hearts that manifest as anxiousness, fear, exhaustion, disillusionment, and rage, to name a few of its iterations. But the reality is we need forgiveness and the realization we can’t do “it” (insert life, forgiveness, save ourselves, whatever the pressing need is) on our own.
Deep Hunger: Hunger for an authentic encounter with something bigger than oneself.
Many of the revivals that I’ve read about started with prayer and intercession for a deep, authentic encounter with the Holy Spirit. A plea for more of His spirit to manifest in the culture.
Interestingly, it always begins at a grass-roots level. Some (usually young adults) have the realization that there is no formula; they just have a raw expectation at a gut level. Like seeking the Healer, not the healing; seeking the Creator, not creation; seeking the Giver, not the gift. An authentic hunger for more of God’s presence, which results in true repentance. Seeing yourself for who you truly are in the face of your holy Creator. Everything else fades in importance, and you have an inexplicable desire to be clean.
A Deep Move: God responds to this authentic cry for Him to move.
Traditionally this move occurred on college campuses. Youth energized by the move of the Holy Spirit, recognizing that they didn’t have a motive- they just wanted to know Him. They weren’t trying to make a name for themselves or take credit for something they didn’t understand. Consider Lyman Beecher’s account of the revival that tore through Yale at the end of the 18th century.
More than Just a House Tournament: What is Revival?
Revival is an improvement in the condition or strength of something. However, the second meaning stopped me in my tracks: An instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again.
Which one are we after? I hear the cry for revival from many believers. Are we crying out for the avoidance of pain and aversion from the chaos? Or a face to face encounter with Jesus? Are we after the Giver or the gift? Are we after the healing or the Healer?
Revival is really about getting one more person in the Kingdom, about my intimacy with God. King David’s words in Psalm 51:11 echo through time: “Don’t take your presence from me.”
It's a cry to return to Acts 2- a return to the preeminence of personal relationships, person to person. A deeply personal encounter that wrecks you to live for anyone other than Christ- a revival in others attracted to your hope, peace, joy, and wisdom despite the implosion going on around us. Corey Russell, from his December 2019 sermon, “Preparing for Revival” makes a great point:
“Revival begins within us, not waiting for something to fall on us. We need to break up the fallow ground in our own lives….and we are waiting for Jesus to touch us; maybe He’s waiting for us to touch Him.”
Revival is here. Let all Houses humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord- seeking His will and purpose for this time. The passage continues that in time, He will lift us. Humble ourselves, and He will heal our land. Our marching orders have been for the last 2,000 years and will continue to ask if we can let go of the idea of ushering in/striving for revival and to just be relational, walking out our sanctification, and just serving the one in front of us.
The Mirror of ERISED
Mirror description by the Albus Dumbledore. Graphic courtesy of Ayla Roback.
Suddenly on the platform in the Great Hall, a mirror appears and the Headmaster vanishes. Enter the Mirror of ERISED. This period of COVID-19 quarantine has been a mirror much like that of ERISED, a chance to really to see ourselves for who we are, what we truly desire, and in this pause or selah, to re-prioritize and quiet ourselves for when the Headmaster’s voice is heard again, ushering in of what’s to come.
Slytherin description by the Sorting Hat. Graphic courtesy of Ayla Roback.
For me, it's been a chance to assess how much alike the Houses actually are. A chance to realize how much we need each other instead of looking at our differences and trying to separate ourselves. The WHOLE world shut down in a matter of two weeks. This wasn’t a United States of America or continent of Asia issue- it was a pandemic. Only God could do something on a worldwide scale.
Can we use the quarantine to reflect? To really see ourselves? To seek our Headmaster on how to prepare for the next season?
The Mirror is also an opportunity to look at our motives. Will it shake some Slytherins hiding in the church, taking advantage of it’s grace and mercy? Will it expose some using the grace of the church to cloak their bid for power or to build their own kingdom/legacy? Or do we wait, as uncomfortable as it is, to hear the orders of our Headmaster on how to build the bigger Kingdom under His direction?
The Four Houses. Photo by Rhii Photography on Unsplash.
7th Year Gryffindors: Work To Do
Critics of the modern church say that we’ve fallen short of our mission since the times of the Jesus Movement with attempts to recreate “what was” (formulaic). Being of the world and following business mindsets, instead of trusting Him to do what He does, and how He does it. The church has allowed a Greco/Roman mindset to seep in. Many believe that our charge should be: If He doesn’t show up, why bother?
Instead, we became a business, looking at numbers instead of the quality of lives radically changed, the intimacy of relationships, depth of time spent in the Word, and deep connection with the God we profess to follow.
Can we use the pandemic to remember what spoke to us? Can there be a rekindling of the fire in 7th year hearts- A call to return to our first love? Dr. Martha Stinton covers this well in her article “Living Elders in a Dying Church.” Inciting us with, “We still have work to do in giving our gained wisdom and experience to subsequent generations.”
As the spark kindles fires, can there be reflection, a remembrance of what spoke to the Jesus Freaks. Remembering that the very “establishment tones” that turned them off and tuned them out is the same for later Gryffindors? Can there be an intentional effort to understand, to connect to what speaks to all? To keep engaging? Imagine two powerful generations in numbers and vigor uniting in a cause to change the world with Kingdom purpose.
1-6th Year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs: A Call to Participate
Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs engage in different ways, but both hunger for connection and authentic community. Both generations' biological differences in brain physiology from previous generations- affect processing and accessing of information leads me to believe that God has a specific purpose in a specific time in history. We cannot discount the gifts, talents and abilities imbued in our younger Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs and let the enemy continue to lie to our Luna Lovegoods or Colin Creeveys as we look condescendingly down our noses at their youth. Reminds me of a charge to Timothy. Or speak in archaic Christinese incantations of a bygone era. Can we figure out how to ignite their fire, remember what stirred us, and enable them to fly to higher heights than we even thought possible? I believe that is their call but it must be coupled with direction and wisdom.
On the other side of the charge-
Can we hear the wisdom and experience from previous generations that is needed to accomplish our calling?
Can we go forth imaginatively, creatively in a way that others respond to, bringing forth the fullness of others’ gifts?
Can we hear, discern, listen to those who may not speak in a way that looks like what we want it to?
Ravenclaws: Mind the Gap
As Ravenclaws, we are most connected to our Hufflepuff grandparents- their stability, firm foundations, they were present, and had the time to pour into us. Though we’re different from Gryffindors, we have a different approach and gifting- we aren’t exempt from Kingdom work.
We are called at this time to help bridge, lending our gifts to the various Houses, as God has a radical plan. There are two generations of Gryffindors in our time- running bravely in, being the change so desperately needed in both the culture and the church. Us observant, witty Ravenclaws are not exempt. All Houses must engage. No single House of Hogwarts defeated the Death Eaters and Voldemort- they pulled together- respecting the giftings, talents, characteristics and individual journeys from all four houses, to fight as a united front-- Dumbledore’s army. And beautifully maintained their individuality, their house characteristics, and were the stronger for it.
Can we appreciate our differences and attempt to listen and understand each house's expression and gifting for the purpose to bring the Kingdom into its fullness?
I have a weird belief: Only by embracing will we fly. Is unity the only way to fully express the Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven? May we heed our House’s call to change not for the sake of saving our creature comforts, but in continuing to usher in the Kingdom here on earth.
As we continue with baited breath for our Headmaster to speak, ushering in the new season, can we see we’re all on the same side with the same purpose- to win souls and love our neighbor into Hogwarts, also known as the Kingdom? Wasn’t that Jesus’ last charge to us as we live in the wait?
Resources
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