I must start by acknowledging the title’s irony. As some Christian circles have boycotted Harry Potter, the title of this article might seem absurd to them. “How can it be that the Christian bears some similarity with Harry Potter characters?” the skeptics ask.
The Christian life and the game of Quidditch share more in common than meets the eye. In any Quidditch match, two games simultaneously occur, with one game higher in importance than the other. Likewise, Christians today must balance pursuing vocational excellence while maintaining a heart of faithfulness to the Father – two roles that can sometimes seem at odds. In this way, the game of Quidditch can give us insight into living this delicate paradox.
To help those raised in households that boycotted the fantasy series, a quick synopsis of Quidditch is appropriate. As Jordan Peterson describes in “Beyond Order” (Rule II), Quidditch is essentially two games unfolding at once. The first game resembles soccer: “Chasers” zip around on flying brooms, trying to throw the Quaffle (the game ball) through any of their opponent’s three hoops while defending their own. At the same time, a designated player from each team, called the “Seeker,” plays what Peterson terms a “game within the game.” With little to no concern for the Quaffle, the Seeker’s single aim is to capture the ever-elusive Golden Snitch – a chaotic winged ball that erratically darts around the field. The Seeker who captures the Snitch scores 150 points for his team and typically ends the game outright.
The multi-faceted Quidditch is a fan favorite not only among the residents of Hogwarts but also among the millions of Harry Potter readers and viewers worldwide. And for good reason. Quidditch offers the adrenaline, competition, and suspense that characterize team sports, but its multi-game nature makes it stand out from sports not enhanced by magical elements.
Quidditch derives its worth not merely from its entertainment value, however. It’s also a window into what the Christian life looks like. In particular, it’s the dynamic dualism of Quidditch that illustrates how the Christian walk too requires a balancing act.
Dualism permeates the Christian life. As servants of Christ and stewards of God’s gifts, the Christian lives both as a follower and as a leader. To serve Christ is to follow His guidance, even at the cost of personal ambitions. Yet, stewarding His gifts requires leadership and braving the unknown in order to promote human flourishing. Several other paradoxes characterize Christian character. God calls us to be in the world but not of the world, cultivating the shrewdness of serpents while maintaining dove-like innocence. Sometimes, the Christian is faithful through active initiative – such as when Joseph diligently prepared Egypt for a 7-year menacing famine. Other times, faithfulness manifests in quiet contemplation, like Mary choosing stillness at Jesus’s feet in contrast to Martha’s hurried attitude. To traverse the straight and narrow path well is often to live in between two worlds, holding in harmony what seems at odds.
On one hand, Christians are Chasers in the context of vocation. With God-given abilities, Christians should put their best foot forward in whichever field God calls them to. Whether in medicine, law, business, or politics, it is right for Christians to desire vocational competence. After all, the Master has given each of His servants specific talents, and He expects them to use those abilities to glorify His kingdom. As seen in the Parable of the Talents, the three servants were judged by the return they generated on the Master’s investment. The servants who were excellent in their investments, the Master commended.
Vocational excellence relates to the Chasers in Quidditch because empirical results often define both concepts. The Chasers’ sole aim is accumulating points and tilting the scoreboard towards their team. So it is also with Christians and their careers. Like anyone else, Christians may often desire wealth, high-ranking positions, or other tangible accomplishments throughout their career. This is not an intrinsically negative or sinful aspiration. Consider how the Master in the Parable of the Talents rewarded his most successful servant, or how God blessed leaders like Solomon and Joseph with riches and status.
The desire for empirical success in a career does become problematic, however, when it’s the ultimate goal. This is because Christians are not only Chasers, so their purpose is not simply professional excellence. Christians are also Seekers, so they also participate in a task that is greater than the points-gaining game that the Chasers engage in. Christians are called first to seek the Lord and to strive after faithfulness. But this heart posture is elusive, just like the Golden Snitch. Faithfulness in work can be challenging to attain – and even more so to maintain. The gilded trinket of prestige and desire for self-exaltation vie for our attention, posing as obstacles in our quest to be faithful in vocation.
Faithfulness and success do not always work in tandem, so the correlation between the two variables cannot be assumed (similar to how the Chasers and the Seekers have distinct tasks). Believers who forget to cultivate faithfulness in vocation may gain success, and at the same time, believers who focus on faithfully stewarding their God-given talents may wait years, if not a lifetime, before becoming successful in their career. Nevertheless, because God judges the hearts of man, there is a palpable Christian intuition that recognizes faithfulness matters more than worldly success. Likewise, while Chasers play an important role by scoring points with the Quaffle, it’s the Seeker who can guarantee a victory by successfully completing their goal. Although both Chasers and Seekers contribute to their team, the Seeker’s task is primus inter pares – first among equals.
Where does that leave us young Christian professionals?
We ought to recognize the dual nature of Christian vocation. We must pursue excellence in our work, while at the same time, recognize the higher calling to remain faithful to the Lord in our work.
To be clear, this is not a mandate to ignore vocational success or advancement by appealing to the higher goal of faithfulness, just like how we should not dismiss fighting sin by appealing to God’s grace. Yet, to say that aiming for success is as or more important than faithfulness to the Lord is to be mistaken.
The Chasers of one team may deliver a hall-of-fame performance, scoring goal after goal with the Quaffle. Yet, if their opponent’s Seeker catches the Snitch first, all their Quaffle-scoring would be in vain. Similarly, as Christ asks, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul? What good is it for a man to gain all possible success but finish the task without faithfulness?
Yes, Christians are Chasers and Seekers, but remember the exhortation given to us by our Lord: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
