October 29, 2011

Which Witch are you?

It's Halloween again. Which reminds me of witches.

But not really this kind...
 Image from here.
More of this.
Image from here.

Joan of Arc led her country to victory, against the odds, and they handed her to the enemy. She was canonized as a saint, but centuries after the same church burned her as... yes, as a witch.

Joan was accused of being crazy ("she imagined she hears voices") and being demonic ("the voices are real, but they're from the Devil"). Was there no possibility that God is real, or that God did speak to her? And even if they denied her story, how could they deny that they owe France's very survival to her?

In Joan's time, countless people were accused and executed as witches. While the Inquisition and the Salem witch hunts were unjust (to put it mildly), it might surprise some that God is against superstition and the occult. Such mystical practices take away from complete trust in Him. (Read this and this for more details.)

The Bible says, "Offer yourselves as living sacrifices." While our traditional concept of sainthood may involve dying a nobly tragic death, it is much nobler to offer each living moment in obedience to God and service to man.

And if that's not enough motivation, think of the lives cut short simply because they were telling the truth, following God even. Our society is relatively more enlightened - people are not really burned at the stake anymore. Let's not compromise, but rather grab the opportunity to serve God all the more.



P.S. Do watch "The Messenger."

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