Here’s a reason to become vegetarian! You never really know what kind of meat is on the menu. In China, this is referred to a “girl meat.” It’s quite common. “Boy meat” is quite rare, and for that reason considered a delicacy, though it is stinky, and chewier.
Please tell me something got lost in translation!
Thoughts, comments, ideas?
(Was the cat joke too obtuse?)
Has a bit of Hoodoo, folk magic, superstition, and general hooey nuzzled its way into your theology? Probably. We all fall prey to cultural influences that don’t have a solid base in the nature of Reality, (i.e. our Creator and Redeemer) Take this self-test to know if you’re mostly hoodoo-free, or if you could use an excorcism, a bath, a dose of Reality, or just a good swift kick in the pants. Oh, and please, enjoy yourself. It’s all supposed to be fun, good-natured, and thought-provoking in a helpful sort of way.
Answer true or false, and add up your answers as you go.
1. Once in a while you straddle a broomstick, and hope it will magically fly. (Or you think about doing it.)
2. Hogwarts seems like the ideal boarding school, even if there does tend to be a lack of supervision.
3. Sometimes you make plans, and then think to ask God to bless what you are doing, with a sign, if possible, to see if it’s “his will.”
4. You’ve gotten hurt or sick and thought it could be a punishment from God, (however, you go so far as to call it “bad juju.”)
5. You’ve fairly certain you’ve been hexed or cursed by someone at some point in your lifetime, maybe by someone who hated you, or a band of gypsies.
6. If you don’t pray in Jesus’ name, you think your prayer could be a dud.
7. When you need to, you put out a (proverbial) fleece, much in the style of Gideon, to get confirmation from God.
8. If God seems silent on a decision you need to make, you check for “closed and open doors,” and pray more zealously about it.
9. Not getting in private devotional/Bible reading time with God can correspond to a bad day, (or an odd string of bad luck, or even a loss of mojo.)
10. You suspect demonic activity is responsible for a lot of your temptations, mistakes, and influences.
*Scoring: Add up all your true scores.
1-3 True answers means that like many people you have been somewhat influenced by hoodoo folk magic and folk theology. The upcoming series will be of great benefit to you. Hold off on the exorcism-for now. But, don’t get too cocky.
3-6 True answers means that you have a bit of a problem area with hoodoo. (See my other post to learn more about hoodoo vs. voodoo. It’s oh so real.) You probably don’t realize the extent you are being witchy with God. Don’t freak out, he won’t put a bad spell on you, but I’m sure he yearns for you to get to know him, more for who he is. It could be more complicated than the voodoo doll slippery slope approach that can creep up unawares. It could be very comforting for you too, to hear a few fresh ideas. Check back soon for posts in this series.
6-10 True answers mean you have a hoodoo issue. Return any capes, magic wands, voodoo dolls, potions, or caldrons you may have purchased. They will not serve you well. It’s quite likely that you are incorporating some superstitions into your worldview, theological foundation, and everyday life.
But there is always hope! God wants your liberation, and the journey to freedom, with him. It will be so restful at the end. You won’t have to keep looking over your shoulder, so that will be nice too! Check back soon for many helpful ways to rid your perspective of faulty notions of God’s nature, character, and actions; and learn of his redemptive agency in his created world.
If you are ready to grow, be open, and BRAVE, leave your score in the comment section. If not, please post something you’ve been thinking about throughout this time. Thank you!
*(This test is mildly amusing, but not real, in any scientific way, so please don’t be upset however your score may come out. The idea behind it is to prompt thought about your beliefs and spiritual actions against the gracious, loving, true nature of our Creator and Redeemer.)
A few thoughts about needing signs, from my Savior and mentor:
“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” John 4:48 (Said despairingly of the Jews who rejected Jesus in Nazareth.)
Matt. 12:38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” 39He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
This is the greatest sign and revelation that God is God, he came in the flesh, died, was buried for 3 days, and was brought to life again, which was witnessed by many. He is trustworthy.
When the kiddos where swarming Jesus, his disciples started barking at the parents. They said Jesus couldn’t be bothered with that sort of thing. Jesus harshly rebuked his helpers. He had time for the kids. I can picture him ruffling their hair, smiling at them, and blessing them, as they crowded around him.
He went on to say that to come in the Kingdom of God you must be like a child. I think he was primarily speaking about “child-like trust,” and perhaps “purity” of heart, but let’s also think about the nature of children for a minute.
Most kids aren’t super serious, most of them find joy in the present, most can be fairly easily amused, most of them assume they need some help to get by. Oh, and another thing–THEY PLAY! So, maybe those of the kind of people Jesus enjoys the company of.
Have you grown up? I should say, have you gotten old? Have you forgotten how to play? How to play with all that you are-like a kid-all out? Can you shelve your crotchety outlook, and have a good time, without feeling awkward, bringing someone down, or looking at the negative?
I’ve met so many Christians who are so “grown-up,” they could meet up with God, and he’d seem more like a boy to them. In other words, they would have no idea how “youthful, innocent” exuberance looks, or sounds like. Look at the world of created things. God must have been laughing when he fashioned some of those creatures! Tough-skinned grown-ups aren’t much able to id joy, or what is joyful, if it hits them in the face with a cream pie. They’ll probably say, “Oh, thanks joy! Perfectly good pie, and YOU wasted it! Now clean this up.”
God sings, smiles, and laughs. Shocking! (Actually, only to some people.) Open your eyes. God is good. God is even fun!
Maybe we should remember that he gives us this world to enjoy. He give us others to enjoy. This world is our playground, and we may be happy here. Tag-you’re it!
Welcome! If you’re visiting because of reading my column Notes From the Footpath in the Schuylkill-News, please let me know in a comment below.
Also tell me if you have any questions (about my SN article, this site, or Christian spirituality, etc.).
Poke around. There’s lots to read, think about, and challenge yourself with too. I love to hear your take on things, so feel free to post. You should know, I like posting funny things (photos, videos, etc.), and mildly amusing little, cosmo-style quizzes. And I give away gifts!
(Do a site-wide search on the blog home page for what interests you, or check the archives listed.) I post almost every day, so come back again soon.
So glad you came by. :)
photo from failblog.com
I thought this picture was a great example of trying to figure out a problem (glare from the sun) on-the-fly. The easy answer is, simply, “shield your eyes.” With the help of a friend, though, this guy could realize he’s already wearing a hat perfectly suited as sun gear.
The better answer: “Turn your hat around.”
We most often learn best in community (through others) and we grow as people this way. Our individual perspective throws us off, and cuts us off from seeing solutions, and places to improve.
Spiritual direction works in the same sort of way. A person seeks spiritual direction, or guidance, not because they can’t see well at all, but because they are wise enough to realize they have blind spots.
Everybody has blind spots, and many are still trying to figure out what those blind spots really are. That’s were community can help too, for the same reason. Whether it’s for productivity; personal growth; becoming better at a particular skill; or in a particular area in your career or your character, outside perspective gives the benefits of revealing our blind spots. That is, if we can be brave enough to hear and learn what they are, and how to overcome some of those obstacles.
The challenge really lies in risking with people, we grow to trust, to be honest with us, and journey with us, for our best interest. And-we mustn’t fail at starting, and nurturing relationships purposefully moving to this level of familiarity.
I encourage you to invest in one or two relationships that will reveal your blind spots. Do it right away.
Have you done this already?
Encourage us, and share a bit of your story here.
Thanks for reading.
