mercy just might seem an odd topic to connect with HP, though in keeping for the season of Lent, and as i was preparing for my first Sunday back after sabbatical, it's not surprising that i got there... however, how i got there is another story...
i was listening to Linkin Park on the way into the office this week. they have a song used released in 2007 called What I've Done :
there's a great line in the song that goes: "So let mercy come and wash away what I've done..." that sounded to me like words from Psalm 51 often used on Ash Wednesday:
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
and from there, my mind jumped to the Harry Potter narrative was the third book, Prisoner of Azkaban, when Harry is learning the awful truth that his parents were betrayed by one of their friends, Peter Pettigrew. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, stand shoulder to shoulder, wands at the ready, moments away from avenging Harry's parents deaths.
"Harry," whispers Pettigrew, "James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... he would have shown me mercy...." [p. 374, bold italics mine]
when the moment comes for Harry to decide, he steps in front of his godfather and his trusted teacher, shielding Peter from their wands and in that act, offers mercy.
mercy might seem like an odd topic to connect with HP. but it's in there.
Interesting...can you think/reflect on the differences between mercy, forgiveness, and pity? I'm thinking of the scene in "The Two Towers" when Frodo looks at Gollum and pities him. He says something like, "Maybe he does deserve to die. But now that I see him I do pity him." He is recalling a conversation he had with Gandalf, where he (Frodo) wished Gollum dead, and Gandalf says, "Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think?
wow... you SO did not just go frodo on us, really? It seems we have a bit of a family reunion here: potter geek meet Lord of the geeks!
ReplyDeleteBut siriusly (and I totally vote this is the only way to spell "seriously" from now on!), I don't find the topic of mercy being "odd" at all in regards to hp. The entire series is dedicated to the battle between good and evil and mercy is one of the main criteria that differentiates the good from evil. Without mercy, doesn't that make the good guys just as bad as the bad? just a thought...
I think you just called me a geek... :(
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