A few years ago, I happened across an episode of “The Demon Files” on tv. This ghost-busting ex-NYC police officer was shouting obscenities into the air (meant for an evil spirit or demon or spook or something) while brandishing a crucifix, all in the name of Jesus Christ. Oh yeah, and it was after dark, naturally. At first I was mildly amused, then I began to think about the people that buy into this Exorcist syndrome (yes, upper-case E from the very good 1971 film that briefly made movie-goers Roman Catholic and afraid of the dark).
Evil really does exist and masks itself in the vanity, conceit, self-centeredness, and violent behavior we subject ourselves to daily in stark opposition to the pure goodness of God, and the only defense against a foe that hates his Creator and considers Man an intellectual, emotional, psychological (especially!), and spiritual weakling is a sincere repentance and faith in God's sacrifice of Christ for our sins. Holy water, invocations in Latin, profanity, and a crucifix wielded like a baseball bat are the symptoms of good intentions turned into desperation. We mortals are so, so vain. It almost cracks me up to think of this macho ex-cop trying to pick a fight with a force that could kill him as soon as look at him…but won't. Man is more valuable to Satan alive than dead. The much scarier devil is in the details, as they say—in the details of Scripture. Temptation. Why would Satan need all the pyrotechnics and showmanship to lure the unsuspecting away from God? No one understands the proverb "pride goes before a fall" (more specifically Proverbs 16:18) more than one whose own pride brought him down.
There's this other guy who shows up on some paranormal investigation tv shows in priestly garb with a censer, cross, and book of incantations, but few credentials, yet the folks infested with demons and evil spirits sigh with relief when he shows up on their doorstep like some sort of spiritual Orkin guy. And, sadly, these types of shockumentaries are such a poor source of theology for the unchurched.
Movies like “The Exorcist” and “The Conjuring” keep the unchurched, unfaithful, and uninformed in the dark, where levitating, pea-green-soup-barfing possessed teenage girls with animal eyes give even the most devout of Roman Catholic priests more than they bargained for. (However, both films are based on real events; “The Exorcist” has its roots in a Lutheran family's issues with their teenaged son's erratic behavior in the late 1940s and the “The Conjuring” chronicles the notoriety of 1970s-era husband-and-wife demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, he also an ex-cop, she a self-proclaimed medium).
The Bible supports the existence of spirits, to be sure. That they are wandering souls of humans is a fallacy; Martin Luther once said, “Wherever we go, wherever we stand, we are between angels and demons.” And the latter are to be handled with God’s Word and faith. The simple way to get rid of spooks is by changing the channel or, without meaning to sound un-American, not answering the door on Halloween. No need for a priest.
That’s it until next month…
Peace by with you,
Pastor E.B.
