Neo-Pagans

Recently I visited the North Island of New Zealand and caught up with a friend. He asked what 'increased my energy' and which of the four base elements did I find most helpful for doing this. It all seemed strange coming from a christian bloke. So I did some reading of writings by people who generally go under the title of 'neo-pagans'.

A lot of what they wrote about I actually had some experience of. I guess it is because I move among 'spiritual people.'

To help me organize my thoughts I worked out a questionnaire. You may find it helpful:

Is there talk about ‘energy’ in a group of people?
Do participants declare a ‘sacred space’ around a prayer group?
Is there an invocation of the four winds or four elements or surrounding spirits?
Is there an affirming of ‘energy’ rising within a group?
Is there the directing of ‘energy’ for some purpose?
Is there an acknowledgement of the divinity within oneself?
Do participants feel empowered when they leave the ‘sacred space’?
Is there an acknowledgement of the divinity within created things?
Do participants feel more connected with other living beings?
Is there guided meditation, in which a person is led through a journey of the mind?
Are symbols treated as the reality they represent?
Do people empty the mind of thoughts and images to connect with the spirit realm?
Do people induce an altered state of consciousness?

I am pretty sure that people I come across, who go in for this sort of thing, are good people seeking spiritual fulfillment. It is different from the nasty stuff in satanism. But I suspect that they are opening themselves up to influences that they know little about.

There is one sure way of reaching spiritual fulfillment:
By renouncing self-centredness and embracing the cross of Christ we enter the very life of the Blessed Trinity

St John the Evangelist concludes his letter on our life together in the Blessed Trinity with these words: "Children, be on your guard against false gods." (1 John 5:21)

Golden Fillings

I caught up with an old friend the other day. A couple of hours into our conversation she told me about two amalgam fillings in her teeth "turning gold."

Some years ago, she had gone to a prayer meeting with a friend seeking the conversion and mental healing of a wayward son. The speaker said that someone's dental fillings had turned to gold and would the audience look into their neighbour's mouth to find out who it was.

Well, it turned out to be my friend. She hadn't felt a thing and was not interested in gold fillings. She was more concerned about the spiritual well-being of her son.

What I found interesting was the reaction of her dentist and her pastor. Both registered anger!

When she went to her dentist, he examined her teeth and read her records. He grew very angry and said nothing further to her. I suspect that he thought that she had gone off, behind his back, to another dentist to have her fillings changed

Her pastor's reaction was even stranger. He just got visibly angry and refused to speak to her about it. I have known the guy for 50 years myself and can picture his reaction to people who believe in miracles.

One of my friend's teeth looks similar to the golden one in this photo. Whether there is a natural explanation or not, I don't know. If God is directly involved, it seems strange to me that he might have brought the grace of conversion to her son, rather than doing a cosmetic job on her teeth; but who knows the ways of God?

However, the angry response of two professionals indicates that some people just don't want God getting involved.

On the Margin

 
Yesterday, I spent the day in Courtroom 1 at the Christchurch NZ District Court. I felt that I had been getting too out-of-touch with the human race. There is nothing like going to the margin of one's own culture to get a broader perspective on life in general.

Seeing the people brought before the judge for fighting, stealing, drug-taking and so on, reminded me of the feelings of Jesus for the crowd:

'When Jesus saw the crowd, he felt compassion for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.' [Mt 9:36]

I asked myself, "Where is the Church here, bringing the saving love of Jesus?" Jesus made a point of taking the Good News to those on the margin of society. (See Lk 4:18) If I am to put the Gospel into action, I need to spend more time with the marginal people.

Getting belted around

People who consistently put the Gospel into action get belted around, whether it is emotionally or physically.

It is encouraging to know that Jesus himself didn't feel too good after going three rounds with Satan in the desert. Matthew's Gospel tells us: 'Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels appeared and looked after him.' (Mt 4:11)

Normally, of course, we can count on some other believers to help us put ourselves together again. But, if we are stuck out in a desert by ourselves, God may provide some angels.

"You can't trust anybody."

The expression "You can't trust anybody" sounds a bit cynical, stated so baldly. But from some points-of-view, it is simply realistic. On the one hand, each of us has hidden depths in our psyche; on the other hand, we don't know what we are going to do in a strange situation till we have been in it.

In putting the Gospel onto action Jesus lived out this principle. We are told: "Jesus knew all people and did not trust himself to them." (Jn 2:24)

Whatever our hidden weaknesses are, when we put the Gospel into action, we are likely to be tested by Satan. Jesus was aware that even his closest follower, Simon Peter, could falter during such testing; so he prayed for him: 'Simon, Simon! Look, Satan has got his wish to sift you all like wheat; but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail; and once you have recovered, you in your turn must strengthen your brothers.' (Lk 22:32)

A cynical expression? Maybe, maybe not. But certainly, we have good reasons to watch out for and to pray for one another.