Qualities of a Christian by Hogwarts Houses

     The qualities of a strong and faithful Christian are numerous and plenty. However, in this post I am going to bring to mind some qualities that correspond to the Hogwart's Houses and the qualities their founders were so keen on harvesting in the witches and wizards that attended their school.

     Firstly, we'll look at Gryffindor; boldness and courage are prized attributes in a Gryffindor student. It is incredibly important to a Christian. Courage is defined in the "Ready Reference For Growing Christians" as a firm conviction or strength; determination and devotion; trust and hope. We see throughout the Old Testament, as well as the New, that courage is both commanded and expected of God's people. In the book of Deuteronomy, in the later chapters as Moses is growing older and Joshua is being taught and trained how to lead God's people, Moses continually reminds Joshua to "be strong and of good courage."  Courage was needed in Joshua, and is still needed today, to lead God's people. In times of trials and tribulations, which seem to be many in the world today, we need to have courage. Matthew 13:21 reads, "...for when tribulation or persecution ariseth, because of the word, by and by he is offended." Jesus is in that context telling the parable of the sowers. The seed that could not and would not endure tribulations was sown in stony places. 

Boldness can be sometimes along the same line as courage. Although, I believe, that sometimes one can lack courage, if only for a little while, but still be bold. And that boldness will give them courage. We need courage, and boldness, to preach God's word to every creature (Matt. 28:19) as well as rebuking those who do not obey (2 Tim. 4:2).

     Hufflepuff is a house that prizes traits that seem, to me, to be the essence of being a good Christian. We are commanded to be hardworking, humble, and most importantly, loyal (faithful). Being a hard worker not only allows you to help others, but it is essential to spreading God's word to all. We must be humble in our service and attitude towards others and especially towards God. Too many in the world today think that they don't need God; that all the worldly possessions they have are from their own hard work.

Matthew 18:4 tells us that those who humble themselves, "the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven". Luke 14:11 says that "Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Meaning, that if we humble ourselves, remembering who we serve (God, not man) and that He is from whom all blessings flow, we will be exalted. Faithfulness (or loyalty) is also another quality held in high esteem in the Hufflepuff house. But, most assuredly, faithfulness is the epitome of daily Christian living. When we are faithful to God, we want to obey him, love him, and make the right choices that will glorify and exalt Him. II Thess. 3:3 reads, "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil." If God is faithful and just to us, why cannot we be faithful to Him? He is the reason we are alive today and His giving of His only begotten Son is the reason we have a chance with him in Eternity (John 3:16).

     Zeal is something we are commanded to have and is demonstrated throughout the Bible in Men and Women who love the word of God and want to further His kingdom. One of Slytherin's qualities is ambition. Ambition and Zeal can go hand in hand; you have to be ambitious to be zealous. Ambitious to spread God's word, to preach and teach it unto every creature. The word Zeal is from the Greek "zelos"  which equates to, in our English language, "to boil; be hot", or fervor and passion. Ecc. 9:10 reads, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might..." We must be a faithful Christian and exude zealously the Word of God through everything that we do each and every day. In Revelation 3:19, Jesus tells John to write to the church of Laodicea, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." We must not only be zealous when worshiping God, we must be repent with zeal; we must repent in earnest and realize we have sinned.

     Lastly, we have Ravenclaw and her students' desire to learn. As Christians, we must want to know more about God and His Word; to study it day and night. We must grow in knowledge as Christians; to study His Word (2 Tim. 2:15) so that we may remain faithful and resist temptation. 1 Cor. 10:12 warns us, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." To ward away the temptation of wordly things, thus falling away from God and His Word, we must not only study His Word, but remain humble, knowing that God is the one that helps us stand. But how can you grow in your knowledge of God's word? Listen during Sunday morning and evening services to the sermon your preacher is giving. (Heb. 10:24-25) In doing that, we not only learn ourselves, but we cast good examples to others and in turn help them learn. One can always search the scriptures daily in solitude if they are comfortable enough to do so. (Acts. 17:10-11). Older faithful men and women in the church are amazing examples of how a servant of God should behave. (Titus 2:3-7).

     In retrospect, all the qualities and attributes a fore mentioned all go hand in hand when you are a faithful Christian. You must be bold and have courage to be zealous and spread God's word. As you grow in knowledge of God's word, you become humble and faithful to His Word and Will.   Boldness and courage does have to be paired with humbleness so that we never think highly of ourselves or become vulnerable to temptation and veer from the strait and narrow path to Heaven.

*Author's note* I do not in any way support the "art" of Witchcraft that is in the world today. I am merely a person who enjoys ready Harry Potter and believes that the qualities shown by the characters are admirable traits that one can apply to their daily walk as a faithful Christian.

Jane Austen Heroes and thier MLP counterparts

     The above title might seem a strange one to see on this blog. Well, any blog. BUT! I suppose I am a girl of contradictions because I ardently love Austen's works, but I also happen to like My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The former seems to be meant for the educated, cultured, and those of good taste. 
     As Henry Tilney so eloquently put it in Northanger Abbey, "A person, be it a gentleman or a lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."
      Though some may argue that MLP:FIM is a "kid's t.v. show", many episodes deal with everyday problems that all can relate to, not just kids, and some episodes (Esp. the Season Four two part finale) are quite epic. Anyway, that's another thing altogether.
     So, this entry is to deal with comparing our beloved gentlemen with the cute ponies of Equestria (More specifically, Ponyville)

First up! Mr. Darcy (*insert swoon and "oohhs" and "awws"*)

I believe that selfless and giving Fitzwillaim Darcy is much like Rarity. If you have ever watched My Little Pony, then you will know that Rarity is a very generous pony. Giving of her means, and even sacrificing some of her beauty (As seen in the first two episodes of MLP:FIM), to help others; without even a second thought.

Next; Mr. Tilney, my personal favorite Austen Hero

Henry Tilney is a witty and playful man and I think that Pinkie Pie is a bit like him. (Tilney came first, of course) Pinkie is no doubt more loud, boisterous, etc. than Tilney (at least publicly), but they both share a love for laughter, puns/witticisms, and happiness. I know that while reading N.A. I laughed quite a few times when Tilney flirted with Catherine Morland. :)

Captain Wentworth! My sister's favorite Austen Hero.

When I ventured to the subject of combining MLP with Austen's works, I likened Raindow Dash to Capt. Wentworth in a heartbeat. Rainbow's element is loyalty, and I don't know about you, but I think Capt. Wentworth really exhibits that quality, what with loving Anne and waiting for her despite not knowing if she still loved him or not. Also, I think that the way he acts towards/in reaction to Anne's family (the rude/uncivilized/snobbish bunch they are) shows that he loves Anne so much that he's willing to put up with them. :)

Alright! In the fourth place, we have Edward Ferrars, Eleanor’s sweetheart. (Side note: every time I type Eleanor I want to follow with Rigby)

We all know that dearest Edward is a shy one. Nonetheless, he eventually overcomes, not completely mind you, that shyness because he loves Eleanor and her family and wants to show her as much. Fluttershy, the (seemingly) timid and shy pony, is like Edward. Not just because of her quietness, but because of her kind, sharing, and gentle attitude. Maybe it's just because of Hugh Grant's portrayal of the aspiring clergyman, but I think that Fluttershy and Ferrars are one and the same.

Mansfield Park's Hero is next; AKA Edmund Bertrem

This one was a bit of a toughie. But, the more I thought of it, the more I realized how hardworking and honest Edmund truly is. Despite conflicts and oppression, ranging from the pernicious Mary Crawford, to his parents' greater expectations of him, to Tom's illness (the list goes on, I think), Edmund worked at achieving the career he wanted and winning the love of Fanny Price (the cousin he always loved, it seems). Apple Jack is a hard worker and an honest pony to boot, showing that she is worthy of being compared to Patient, Hardworking, and Honest Edmund Bertrem.

Lastly, but not least (that's for sure), is Mr. Knightly.

Those of you who are "bronies" (or the like) probably know that the only pony (of the Mane Six, at least) left to compare Jane Austen's heroes is Twilight Sparkle. Yes, I know Knightley isn't "magical", but Twlight's element isn't just magic. It's really friendship. Knightly's friendship, guidance, and wisdom towards Emma made her the Heroine thatshe is. He reprimanded her when he needed to, was always there for her (albeit she viewed him as an older brother for quite some time), and cultivated friendships and good relationships with other people (even those that were "below" him.)

So, a thought to leave you with! (As I try to do at the end of my entries). Pick one Austen hero (preferably one whose quality you wish to acquire or that you need to work on), and read the book that he is in. Or, if you're busy, not much of a reader, etc., Sparknotes it. I might be biased, being a Janenite and all, but if you take the time to read the book, you'll get the full sense of what that Hero is like. And you might even discover that you like Austen's books!

Have a good day, and keep smiling.
:)

*credit for picture* modernjaneausten.com