From Neville Longbottom to Superhero
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men [adults], be strong. ”
One of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series is Neville Longbottom. Neville is that kid we all knew in school who was easy to pick on. He seemed always to make himself look bad. Neville was scared of his own shadow, which left him timid and reactive. Scared of his shadow was his regular action until one evening when Ron, Hermione, and Harry were going to leave the castle against school rules. Neville told them he was going to stop them. Neville’s actions were misguided and didn’t stop them, but his heart was in the right place.
Neville, for the first time, stood up and had the courage of his convictions. At the end of the movie, Professor Dumbledore awarded Neville Longbottom ten points to Gryffindor House, enough for Gryffindor to win the house cup over the other three Houses. Dumbledore not only wanted to give Neville confidence but even more to show all the students that courage and standing firm in your convictions is a virtue worth affirming.
Those who experience all the books/movies in the Harry Potter series will watch Neville Longbottom slowly transform before our eyes. By the final two books, Neville Longbottom becomes the paragon of courage and virtue. The J.K. Rowling character, Neville Longbottom, provides one of the most expansive examples of development and growth in the series.
Often, the characters in literature with the most uncomfortable and weak personalities become the most exciting and impressive. The same is often true in real life. We should not judge ourselves or others by where we start but where we conclude. Trust God to bring emotional and spiritual strength to your life. If you know a Neville Longbottom, look beyond the momentary, and seek to find the power within. God has imparted divine power within each of us. Our task is to find divine strength within ourselves and others, transformed in God’s image.
