Love in a dangerous world

I planned to have further discussion articles about HP6 after my last post. There are lots of different things to talk about. But I came across my friend's article, and found that it is very insightful. Plese have a read. And then again, if I write too much about the details straight after my last post, I think a lot of people will swear at me for leaking the story lines.

Anyway, I guess this is a good time to start talking about the book.

First of all, about love.

There are three major lines in here: Harry & Ginny, Ron & Hermione, and Bill & Fleur

About Bill & Fleur:

It came as a surprise to me actually. If I remember correctly, there had not been too much hint about their love towards each other in previous books.

And it is very interesting that in the whole of HP6, Bill has not uttered a single word!! It was a solo of Fleur's endeavour to mix into the Weasley's. I do not understand why Bill and Fleur become a pair, but I am very impressed by Fleur's show of her love to Bill after his face was badly injured by the werewolf. I especially like Fleur's declaration in the hospital wing after his injury that "I am good looking enough for both of us..."

To me, Fleur has always been just a pretty face, but after this incident, I really like her very much. She is brave and her love is very true and pure. It is not about the looks, but the person himself that she loves.

How admirable!!

About Ron & Hermione:

I really cannot understand why Hermione would fall for Ron, and vice versa. Hermione is such an intelligent girl. She knows so much and is so capable. Of course, she is not a very very pretty girl. She had large front-teeth, which she managed to get them reduced after being jinxed to much bigger and protruding. She is so soaked into studying that her she doesn't care too much about her looks. Yet, she has better opportunities, such as Victor Krum the Seeker of the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team, famous and capable.

On the other hand, Ron is always overshadowed by Harry, and his many elder brothers. It's true that he is tall and sleek, and probably might be good looking because Bill the eldest is said to be handsome (before the werewolf's attack in HP6 at least). But he is always rash and don't even have the gut to chase Hermione but allow Lavendar to wrap herself around him.

How could these two persons possibly fall for each other?

I really cannot understand!!

What does Hermione like about Ron? And wouldn't Ron feel uncomfortable about Hermione's brains and abilities? All I can say is, love is irrational, and beyond any reason.

About Harry & Ginny:
As to Harry & Ginny, I perfectly understand why Ginny loves Harry. It was actually not a surprise at all. Ginny had been very impressed by Harry starting from the first book. She was saved by Harry in the second book. She cannot be herself in front of Harry. And she has much more chance to be with Harry than any other girl, of course except Hermione. It is very easy to understand how she came to fall for Harry. And as she herself puts it, she loves him because he always puts saving the wizarding world before himself, even his love for Ginny.

As for Harry, I can only say that he finally realizes what he really wants of a lover. He needs a person he could communicate without problem, not like Cho who seems to be from a totally different world. He needs someone who truly loves him, not just his achievement and status. He needs someone he is comfortable with, can share his thoughts with, and can understand him.

But all these does not amount to his urge to chase her. It really springs from his realization that she is so much a part of his life and he can no longer bear with the thought that she is someone else's girlfriend.

Aren't we like that? When we like someone, we deny the fact by saying that we are just very good friends. But then when the person becomes someone else's girl/boy-friend, we suddenly find ourselves hopelessly in love with that person, and die to have a chance to have him/her back.

Love is a very tough and difficult topic, is it not?

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

It is the latest book of the Harry Potter series.
Read in within 3 days of its release. Not a very notable achievement though.
Well, as with the last book "the Order of Pheonix", I feel most sad after finished reading it.
Most sad.
Last time it was my number 1 favourite character, Sirius Black, who was killed. This time, it was another most beloved character, the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who was killed.
Extremely sad... I was depressed for 1 whole week last time. I am not sure how long I would be depressed for this heart-felt loss.
Can't say too much at this mental state.
Will talk more about it when I feel better.

懊悔

前天晚上從退修營出來，帶著一個懊悔的心。

話說那天早上的講道是「事奉」，內容提到我們事奉會面對試探，其中一類就是「比謙卑、比屬靈」。當時只是一笑置之，雖會記著，卻未曾深究。

但在小組討論時間中，被咄咄迫問自己的事奉現狀，為何只聞樓梯響(其實是那人的以為罷了)、遲遲不見有人來，看我是個有能力的人、為何不積極事奉… …等等。

個人並不贊同那些迫問的內容：真的不敢苟同有能力就該事奉、無行動就十惡不赦。若一個人與神的關係出現了問題，要做的是從事奉崗位退下來，自我反省、檢視自己的生命，與神復和，才再出來事奉。我的事奉既然是教導，若我所教的我自己都不能行出來、不衷心地在相信，我不是成為了現代法利賽人嗎？我所教出來的，不也會步我後塵嗎？這於己於人於教會都不是好事。

有點離題。重點是，我被激怒了。

在之後的最後分享檢討大會上，我剛巧是最後一個分享的人，有兩個多小時去反覆思考這件事。於是，我明白到我受一次這樣的迫問，已經如此不高興、覺得世人都不明白我，如此孤單，如此不被了解，那我過去一段長時間時常追迫另一位弟兄，他的心情我突然就明白了。

我的咄咄迫人，不就是因為「比屬靈」、引致自義了？

然後，我後悔了。我得罪了這個弟兄、也得罪了神。

聖靈以另一個人的錯誤，提醒了我、我犯的更大的錯誤。

於是，我立志去向那弟兄道歉。道歉之時，我後悔得哽咽了。

求神的靈叫我們被此認罪、和解，以致我們的郡體能謙卑下來，彼此合一，成為神合用的器皿！