Flashy as Gilderoy Lockhart
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ”
In J.K. Rowling’s second book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, we meet the hilarious character Gilderoy Lockhart. Whenever he introduces himself, it is never just with his surname. He introduces himself by saying, “Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award.” While Gilderoy thought he was very dashing and self-important, he came across as ridiculous. With every self-important braggadocio statement, he made his mistakes more humiliatingly glaring.
We can learn even from ridiculous characters in the world. Gilderoy’s exploits reflect our worst moments when we’ve covered our insecurities with arrogant boasting. Gilderoy Lockhart could have been a much better person if he had learned to trust God rather than depending on his overblown resume.
Juxtaposed to flashy Gilderoy Lockhart, we find humble Harry Potter. True, Harry Potter gets a lot of attention, but he remains committed to being a humble friend. While Gilderoy is bragging, Harry recognizes the support coming from Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Dumbledore, and so many others. Harry never claims his glory. Harry’s humble integrity is the reason others respect and follow him into challenging situations against evil.
Today, think about the Gilderoy Lockharts you’ve experienced in your life. Have you ever been a Gilderoy? Remember and appreciate the times when your humility provided support and strength to yourself and others. Ask God to give you the confidence to remain humble. Ask God to give you the faith to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. It takes a confident soul to stay humble, when bragging often impresses others in the short-term. Let Harry Potter be a reminder to carry yourself with Christ-like humility.
