Wednesday, March 26, 2014

LENT: Mar 27 - Leviticus 20:6

The Lord said,

“If a person turns to mediums and

necromancers, whoring after them,

I will set my face against that person and

will cut him off from among his people.”

Leviticus 20:6

 

I love watching college basketball ... especially during NCAA tournament time. 

 

But about this time last week, I was watching THE most frustrating game I ever, ever saw. My NC State Wolfpack, slowly, excruciatingly gave the game away to the St. Louis University Billikens. 

 

I was so frustrated at the end of the game that I had to look up what a Billiken is. (And its identity made me even less happy.)

 

The Billiken is a specific kind of charm doll from the turn of the last century. 


Now the Billiken could have been a totally harmless creation of one particular art teacher from Kansas City in 1908. (After all, I'm an artist
a silly cartoonistand most of my doodles are surely harmless creations.)

 

But when I hear that illustrator Florence Pretz saw this mysterious figure in a dream -- complete with pointed ears, a pointed head, and a mischievous smile -- and that people bought and gifted them as good luck charms, warning bells rang my head. 


As Christians, we don't need good luck charms. In fact, it's idolatrous -- almost blasphemous -- to have them. 


Our hope is in the Lord ... or it's not. 


It's not just silly fun to have a charm or an idol, it's a refusal to fully trust God. 


In the Law, God said he'd "cut off" those who played at charms, idols, and the occult. I don't know about you but I'd rather cut out the cute and silly (and clearly not so harmless superstitions) than be cut off from God. 


In Christ's Love,

a poor Wolfpacker who's

still starting a campaign:

Down with Billikens

 

 

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