I shared with people at the Harry Potter study last night that the word Erised was desire spelled backwards. I wanted to let you know an additional piece of insight that my sister shared with me. According to the book, the words around the mirror are:
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on whohsi.
I always thought this was Latin or something, but I learned that if you read the words backwards (and ignore the spacing) it says:
I show you not your face but your hearts desire.
I think that the church (and maybe God's love) is often seen like this phrase. We see a bunch of strange words (justification, righteousness, grace, etc.) and think that God does not make sense. But then, when someone explains the words, we see them in a new light. We understand that the words of the church are not just foreign words we cannot decipher. Instead, they are words that help us understand what we are really seeing.
May God's love be made more clear to you this day, and always.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" We look in the mirror for confirmation. Is my hair a mess? Do I have something in my teeth? Am I attractive? What kind of mood am I in? Do I exist? Who am I?
Folklore says that vampires do not have a reflection because they do not have a soul. In an episode of the Simpsons, Bart sold his soul($5) and could no longer see his reflection.
Most animals assume their reflection is another animal. We see our reflection and assume it is our true selves. But is it the real us? Stand before a mirror and put your right hand on your right cheek; what is the figure in the mirror doing? This identical-but-opposite paradox leads to stories about mirrors as doorways to parallel universes,and alternate realities; we go "through the looking glass".
Magic mirrors are yes men; Harry has no parents so he sees them in Erised. Muggle mirrors are nay sayers; I look and see no chin, a pointy nose, and hair where hair should not be. Which of us sees reality, and which unreality?
We are made in God's perfect image, but both Harry and I can only see what we lack. It must therefor not be the mirror, but the mind.
Hey, you're talking about me in your blog and not telling me, do you do this frequently at your church when I'm not there?!?
She does it with much love Liz! ;) You may want to ask for royalties though...
if you look at the "latin" phrase and read it backwards it says:
I shoh w - NOT, I show you. it's missing the word you and show is not spelled correctly either - shohw
frised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on whohsi
backwards: I shohw not your face but your hearts desire
Post a Comment