Surrounded by Supernatural (September/October 2012)

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september – october, 2012

Surrounded by supernatural

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september – october, 2012

on the cover

Stories with supernatural elements have captured imaginations for centuries. From zombies, werewolves, wizards and witches to stories of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and in the world today, many are still captivated by something other than what the material world can explain.

SEVEN is a Christian magazine for Canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies.

The name reflects the seven promises that form the basis of the Promise Keepers organization, which works with churches to minister to men across Canada.

features 12

Surrounded

by Supernatural from wicca to christ god's power in the persecuted church

Stories of Supernatural

| sandra reimer Stu Blyde went from being a practicing Wiccan to a dedicated Christian. Sandra Reimer shares his story.

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Metamorphoses

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What Does the Bible Say About Halloween?

what to do with halloween

| michael gilmour Stories of change and transformation: why have these stories had such a meaningful impact for so long? |

mary fairchild Should Christians get involved in Halloween activities?

Who’s right? Who’s wrong?

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Christ’s Love Revealed through the Supernatural

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columns

departments

5 PK Podium Jesus: No Ordinary Saviour

8-12 Pulse Bits. Blip. Beats. Blurbs.

6 Man to Man Banding with brothers, sharing lives

13 Reviews Listen. Discern. Act. Repeat.

25 Sports Scene Silly superstitions in sports

28 Power Play Tools. Toys. Technology.

30 What Women Want Gentlemen, start her engines

Publisher: Brian Koldyk Editorial Director: Jeff Stearns Managing Editor: Rob Horsley

advertising

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four – A promise keeper is committed to strengthening families and marriages through love, honour, protection, and biblical values. five – A promise keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honouring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources. six – A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial, social, economic, generational, and denominational barriers to demonstrate that power of biblical unity. seven – A promise keeper is committed to influencing the world by his fervent love for God while loving his neighbour, seeking justice for the poor and oppressed, and making disciples of Jesus Christ.

26 Money Matters Good, bad and ugly: dealing with debt 27 Out of My Depth Supernatural or just plain natural?

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two – A promise keeper is committed to pursuing Christ-centred friendships with a few other men, connecting regularly, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises. three – A promise keeper is committed to practicing biblical integrity: spiritually, morally, ethically and sexually.

heidi champagne God continues to make His presence known. Ron Pearce reflects on what he’s seen in visits to persecuted churches around the world.

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one – A promise keeper is committed to honouring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit.

John Steadman jsteadman@promisekeepers.ca 1-888-901-9700

editorial advisory board KIRK GILES: Promise Keepers Canada JEFF STEARNS: Promise Keepers Canada PHIL WAGLER: Gracepoint Community Church SANDRA REIMER: Reimer Reason Communications ROB HORSLEY: ChristianWeek DOUG KOOP: Soulcraft Communication

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The PK Canada logo features a maple leaf, indicating our dedication to serve the men of Canada. An arrow breaks into the maple leaf symbolizing the impact we believe God wants to see Promise Keepers and men making in our nation.

Promise Keepers Canada Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills Burlington, ON L7P 0A4 (905) 331-1830 info@promisekeepers.ca Postmaster: Please send address changes to Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills, Burlington, ON L7P 0A4

editorial 204-424 Logan Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3A 0R4 Phone: (204) 982-2060 (800) 263-6695 admin@christianweek.org Design: ’Segun Olude www.indigoinkstudios.com

ISSN 1916-8403 Cover: Straga seven – issue twenty-six september – october, 2012 page 3

PK@HOME RESOURCES

Visit our new website for the latest info, videos, audio messages, men’s articles, books and other resources.

Men of Integrity Devotional Especially written for men, personally challenging, eternally rewarding.

Available in a 60 page booklet or as an email devotional.

SEVEN Magazine Men. God. Life.

A Christian magazine for Canadian men.

Relevant, exciting and biblical.

Visit us online at www.PromiseKeepers.ca and

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PK Podium

Jesus: No Ordinary Saviour Making sense of the supernatural.

by Kirk Giles

My daughter, Sydney, is 12 years old— just the right age to become very interested in the Twilight movie series about romance, humans, vampires, and werewolves. All across our nation girls have been drawn to this tale of love.

But the presentation of fantasy and the relation of humans to the supernatural is something that also features throughout.

Whether we want to admit it or not, the supernatural has been something that our culture has been curious about—some have even become obsessed with it. It’s not limited to the movies either. It’s been presented in subtle and not so subtle ways on television, in video games, and in other parts of our life for a very long time.

As men who follow Jesus, what should our level of interest and focus be when it comes to the supernatural? As fathers and husbands, how do we help our families navigate the supernatural that they encounter regularly?

The first thing we must recognize is that the supernatural exists. To ignore it and to even pretend that it is just harmless fun would be a mistake. Scriptures is very clear—there is another realm that we cannot see. There’s a real God who has real angels serving Him, and a real Holy Spirit who is at work all around our world.

At the same time, there is a very real Satan who has his demons at work to destroy all believers in Jesus and to tempt people to look to him instead of the true King and powerful One— Jesus Christ.

Satan offers the intrigue and false promise of power.

If we’re honest, there’s something about the dark

supernatural that often intrigues people and causes them to explore. Maybe it’s because, deep down, we all have a desire to be like God or experience a power that we don’t experience in our everyday lives.

Sometimes, we’re simply deceived and are sucked into a vortex of seeing everything as just “harmless fun.” We must ask where our heart is. If we are giving a portion of our heart to “harmless fun” we’re actually focusing on darkness. Are we truly giving our whole heart to Jesus?

Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Rather than asking the question of whether we should avoid something, ask the question “how is this showing how much I love God?” While the world trumpets the supernatural, Canadian Christians often seem to downplay the God we serve and the supernatural ways He is working around the world. There may be many reasons for this, and some may even be legitimate concerns. However, it’s also a mistake to try put God in a box that we can control and feel comfortable with. It’s not only sin, but a lost opportunity for us to experience all that God may want to do in our midst as Christians.

Not only is God all powerful, but He created the whole concept of power and the supernatural. The supernatural provides an opportunity and a responsibility for us to bring spiritual leadership to our families. We must use the reality of the supernatural in our world as an opportunity to point our families and communities to the One who is truly all powerful and supernatural—Jesus Christ.

Kirk Giles is the president of Promise Keepers Canada. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.

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man to man

It’s always better when we’re together.

What do you need from your male peers?

By Steve Sonderman

In the fall of 1996 I sat in a room with 12 other men who had been meeting together for 18 months as a small group of men, a “Band of Brothers.”

The question I posed to them was, “What is your greatest need as a man?”

We took the next two hours to share from our hearts and I was stunned but not surprised by what I heard: I need support to walk through a difficult time in my life.

I need a male friend to encourage me when I fail.

I need others to cheer me on and hold me accountable for my actions and attitudes.

I need to learn to love other men and to be loved by other men.

I need to be accepted for who I am, not for what society wants me to be.

I want to live up to my potential but I know I cannot do it myself.

These were just a few of the answers, but they shared a common need—the need for a friend. And while most would not deny this need for friendship, friendship is an endangered commodity in our society today. While most men would say they have many acquaintances, very few would say they have a close friend. Allow me to share some lessons learned over the years on how to move from acquaintance to friend.

Character—Friendship starts with who you are, not who you know. I constantly tell men that if they are looking for friendship, it starts with who you are.

Build into your life godly character— humility, loyalty, honesty, integrity, perseverance, servanthood, etc. You may

seven – issue twenty-six september – october, 2012 page 6

not share the same hobbies or interests, but you’ll share values and character.

You will have character that has been forged by God in the fire of life. Golfing, hunting, boating, or reading will become secondary. The character you build into your life will transcend any differences you might have.

Cause—As our group got involved in serving Christ together, God knit our souls together. We need more than a golfing buddy. Not that there is anything wrong with a golfing buddy because I have a few! But we need men we can go to war with—men who will strap on the armor and stand by our side as we fight for our homes, families, and the world. As we are involved in something bigger and grander than ourselves, our conversations will very quickly move from shallow to significant. The side-by-side activity of working together oftentimes leads to faceto-face conversation down the road.

Communication—Deep friendship also involves the sharing of hearts with one another. For many men this is the most difficult thing to do. They have no problem hanging out or working on a project together, but when it comes to opening up and sharing their fears, failures, and feelings, that’s a different story.

We have been taught from a young age not to share our feelings with others because it is a sign of weakness.

But there is also a danger involved.

The danger (in our minds) is this: if we share who we really are and they do not like us, we’ve put everything out there!

There are a few things I have found helpful in this area:

• Start Slow – Learning to share deeper things in your life does not happen overnight. It is like unpeeling an onion, one layer at a time. I have found that for most men it takes as least one year for the walls to come down and for men to begin to be vulnerable.

• Build Trust – A man will only share his heart when he is confident that what he is sharing with another man will not be repeated to others. Again, it takes time to build this trust in the relationship.

• Encourage One Another – Men are beat up all day long, and one way to be a friend is to encourage your friends.

When a friend takes a step of faith, or says no to sin, or takes a step of obedience, cheer them on.

• Speak the Truth to One Another – Friends are willing to tell us things we may not want to hear but need to hear.

Deeper friendships are established as we give permission to others to speak truth into our lives because we know that they love us and want the best for us.

Some fifteen years later I am happy to say that many of the men from our “Band of Brothers” have become dear friends and together we have walked through difficult times and good times.

The key is that we have done it together, because together is better than alone.

Steve Sonderman is Pastor of Men’s Ministries and founder of No Regrets Men’s Ministries.

He consults widely with churches worldwide, sharing his passion for ministry to men in every local church. He makes his home in Brookfield, Wisconsin with his wife, Colleen.

pulse

Bits + Blips. Beats + Blurbs.

by Rob Horsley, PULSE Editor

Arguably the biggest movie of the summer has been Marvel Studios’ #The Avengers. In it, “Earth’s mightiest heroes” face off against an army of ghoulish beings from an alternate dimension.

Mayhem ensues. #Hulk smash. The good guys prevail.

It’s reported that Marvel studios is already working on a sequel.

While it’s not exactly clear what the next battle will entail, at least one member of the squad is looking ahead.

Bits The latest movie adaptation of the #Spider-Man saga was met with reasonably favourable reviews. However, as this tweeter points out, the studio’s choice of director seems an odd coincidence.

How do you all think the Avengers would do in a zombie apocalypse?

The credits of #The Amazing Spider-Man, when it says it was directed by Mark Web, feel like the end of a #Simpsons Halloween episode.

nickmofofury via Twitter

Gleen Moore via Twitter

Countless movies and TV shows have been made exploring the supernatural. #The Harry Potter series, #Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the magical elements of #Lord of the Rings all come to mind, but the all-time favourite for many (including myself) still has to be #Ghostbusters (1984). With a star-studded cast, a great script

by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, and the ever-popular soundtrack, #Ghostbusters really had it all. Still, some feel the need to nitpick and look for inconsistencies in the story, prompting a response from one of the movie’s most memorable characters.

Bits FACT: Friday the 13th happens 3 times this year, each 13 weeks apart from the other. This hasn’t happened since 1984. Happy Friday the 13th.

anneKURTISsmith via Twitter

Bits

Interestingly enough, #Friday the 13th Part IV, was released in 1984 under the label The Final Chapter. Oh, if only that were really the case. Just think of how many mediocre slasher movies we could have been spared from.

Someone asked how I’m alive after dying in Ghostbusters. Always awkward when a 20 ton marshmallow has to explain that movies aren’t real.

Staypuft via Twitter

And on a related note…

Has Halloween ever been on Friday the 13th?

Khalil via Twitter

“I love how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles wear masks to protect their identities, not like they’re giant turtles or anything.”

Stevenson Kieran via Twitter

ITS+BLIPS

Photo by Skley (Flickr) seven – issue twenty-six september – october, 2012 page 8

When I was a kid, #Ninja Turtles were the coolest. Everyone wanted to go as their favourite turtle for Halloween, putting on turtle-shell backpacks and green masks, doing our best to hide our secret identities. It recently occurred to me that we probably had more success than the real #Ninja Turtles probably would have…

Bits

Photo by jasohill (Flickr)

Bits

RELIGIOUS E-BOOKS ON THE RISE consumer the perceived embarrassment of having to look at it, take it to the counter, and buy it in public.

Faith-based titles can be read more discreetly in e-Book format, as some feel uncomfortable in reading books with covers that give the nature of the book away.

However, Catherine Lawton, publisher and editor of Cladach Publishing in Colorado seems to think that the sudden spike in religious e-Books may be due to readers genuinely seeking deeper themes in what they read, especially those in America looking to cut back on spending after the financial recession. (blogs.smartmoney.com/paydirt)

BEATS

Photo by mindof (DepositPhotos)

In the age of the Kindle, the Kobo, and the evermighty iPad, electronic books, more commonly known as e-Books, are on the rise. And after a few years of soso sales figures, religious publishers are finally getting a slice of the pie.

Religious publishers experienced a seven per cent growth in revenue last year, weighing in at $1.45 billion, according to Quentin Fottrell’s blog on smartmoney.com. What’s the cause of this sudden surge in religious e-Book interest? Embarrassment, according to some experts.

Religious e-Books are doing well for the same reason that erotica e-Books are doing well: it spares the

Several stories from various news sources have been written about the preacher who was asked to leave his site by as many as 12 city police officers during the Canada Day gay pride parade in Toronto.

Reports indicate that David Lynn was not aggressive in his preaching.

When asked by police whether he had a permit, he responded that he didn’t need one to preach the gospel.

Some stories have pointed out the glaring inconsistency in removing the preacher from the scene, who in fact was in violation of not having a permit, while at the same time not responding to public nudity and obscene acts being committed by a number of the parade’s participants.

Regardless of whether citizens find the acts in the parade offensive, or whether readers believe that Lynn should have been allowed to continue preaching, the story seems to highlight an inconsistency, and preferential treatment for a specific people group in Canada. Christians across Canada are sure to find such insights troubling.

Photo by sherotie (DepositPhotos)

BEATS

CANADA DAY PREACHER SHUT DOWN DURING TORONTO PRIDE PARADE

(various sources) seven – issue twenty-six september – october, 2012 page 9

BEATS

pulse

BLURBS

The final installment in the popular Twilight series, based on the book series of the same name, is set to hit theatres this November. Though the appeal is perhaps lost on male movie-goers, the film is sure to capture, yet again, the attention of countless young girls, as well as their mothers, some of whom are only too happy to be ‘dragged’ along for the ride.

Christian response to the film’s upcoming release has been subdued. And there might not be much to say at this point: as the fifth film in the series, any objections to the supernatural themes have evidently fallen on deaf ears with the general public.

Some level of controversy seems to commonly exist when works of fantasy make their way to the big screen.

The questions of whether or not Christians should be consumers of supernatural-themed media. But thus far, the sense of anticipation has been subdued. Time will tell whether Christian response will be favourable towards the film’s release.

The debate has not gone away completely, but for the most part, things have been quiet as of late. Perhaps many are simply excited that, for one reason or another, the Twilight series has come to its dramatic conclusion.

Photo from IMDB

TWILIGHT SERIES TO (FINALLY) CONCLUDE

VICTIMS OF AURORA TRAGEDY EXPLOITED BY RELIGIOUS RIGHT I was in the United States when I heard about the tragic events in Aurora, Colorado.

A crazed gunman shoots up a theatre, killing twelve and injuring dozens more. Sickening.

And then I hear about the religious right using these tragic events as a springboard into their latest fear-driven pseudo-evangelistic crusade. Although I have to say that the events themselves still remain the more sickening of the two, the remarks made in the aftermath should still come as being pretty uncalled for.

Clay Farris Naff of the Huffington Post writes, “on the American Family Association’s radio program AFA Today, the hosts wasted no time lining up a far-right Evangelical minister, Jerry Newcombe of Truth in Action Ministries, to tell the audience that among the dead in the theater only those who were true Christians have gone to heaven. The rest, he suggested, are already consigned to hell.”

There’s a lot of talk these days about how secular Canada is as a society, and how being politically correct is over-emphasized to the point of infringing upon our religious freedom. I don’t know about you, but I’m actually pretty grateful we live in a society where these kinds of remarks, ones blatantly insensitive to the victims’ families, are far less of an issue. I’m actually really glad we live in a society that doesn’t tolerate this kind of nonsense.

And so, we at SEVEN offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims.

For whatever it’s worth, we’re truly sorry.

(Rob Horsley, Managing Editor)

seven – issue twenty-six september – october, 2012 page 10

reviews

Listen. Discern. Rise. Repeat.

CLOSE ENOUGH TO HEAR GOD BREATHE: THE GREAT STORY OF DIVINE INTIMACY

by Greg Paul In Close Enough to Hear God Breathe, acclaimed author Greg Paul shows readers through beautiful prose, powerful stories, and inventive teaching a rich message that recounts the story of a God who has been inviting all of humanity—and each individual—into a tender embrace since time began.

(Amazon.com) Recently, Paul’s work on Close Enough to Hear God Breathe earned him an award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association at the Christian Book Awards ceremony in Chicago.

Paul took home the award for top non-fiction title at the event.

Close Enough examines the intimate relationship that Christians can develop through reading the Word, and how such a bond is what God desires of each of his children.

UNFRIEND YOURSELF: THREE DAYS TO DETOX, DISCERN AND DECIDE ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

by Kyle Tennant In Unfriend Yourself, author Kyle Tennant challenges readers to abstain from social media usage entirely for three days. Though perhaps this does not strike us as a hugely daunting task, in an age of such rampant interconnectivity, the challenge may be greater than we think.

Through his intriguing rhetorical style, Tennant invites the reader to take a hard, biblical look at where our attention is being directed, and whether or not being wired into technology and the social media world is actually increasing our ability to interact with the world.

“Don't worry, the world can wait;” writes Tennant. “Your friends won't even know you're gone—seriously, there are over half a billion of them out there.

I doubt you'll be missed.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD CHRISTIAN

by Matt Mikalatos Matt Mikalatos’ first book, Imaginary Jesus was funny, insightful and a great read. It was also quirky enough that I realize not everyone would enjoy it. Written in a style described as Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Screwtape Letters. His second book, Night of the Living Dead Christian carries on in that vein. (Or in that brain…zombie joke. Get it?)

It’s an allegory that tackles that topic of spiritual transformation.

He communicates insightful truth through humour and by using a variety of monsters to describe our

walk as Christians. Such examples include werewolves who can’t control their base desires; zombies who experience a resurrection that is 90 percent shambling death and 10 percent new life; and vampires satiating themselves at the expense of others.

A humourous take on the types of monsters we’re prone to becoming.

Monsters more commonly, and unfortunately, known as Christians.

HEARING GOD: DEVELOPING A CONVERSATIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

by Dallas Willard Originally published in 2006, Willard’s Hearing God has been re-released for a continued look at developing a greater level of spiritual intimacy. It is interesting to note the timeliness of the re-release, given how much the world has changed in just six years. For Christians (especially in North America), there may be no better time than now to drop the distractions and examine their ongoing spiritual dialogue.

As one reviewer points out, the key is not being told what to do and acting accordingly, but being transformed by the shaping nature of a closer walk with the Lord. Loving God means being in frequent conversation with Him, a lesson that Willard continues to highlight six years after his original message.

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features

Stories of Supernatural Stu Blyde’s journey from Wicca to wholeness in Christ

Photo by Ryan Karolak (Flickr)

By Sandra Reimer

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When Stu and his wife Candice moved from the city of St. Catharines to Zurich, Ontario, he noticed that people were a lot kinder in this village of about 900.

Could it be just small town friendliness?

Or was it because most residents attended church?

It seemed that God was trying to communicate with Stu. Walking down the streets of Zurich, he would overhear positive conversations about Jesus. As he flipped through radio stations, powerful Christian songs or inspiring sermons came to his attention. He asked himself, “Why am I attracted to this stuff?”

At the same time, Candice was taking their three kids to Kingsfield, a local church with Mennonite roots. She felt it was a good way to help the children to meet new friends. Candice often told Stu what the pastor had said in his sermons.

Then one day, when Stu was working at his job in a machine shop, he threw his tools down and said, “God, is this you?

Are you real? Do you love me despite all the things I have done and all the things I have said about you and your followers?”

He was answered with a profound sense of peace and a loving presence.

Two weeks later, Stu told his wife, “I think God is real and the gospel is true.”

Candice was shocked. “She looked at me like I had been abducted by aliens.”

Stu decided to start attending Kingsfield with his family. He was blown away by a guest preacher who went through the book of Romans, relating events in the Old Testament to the New Testament and talking about why the Christian faith was true.

A short time later in the fall of 2007, an elder from Kingsfield invited Stu to a Promise Keepers’ event at the Hershey Centre in Ontario. Deeply moved by the worship and the speaker, Stu accepted the offer when men were invited to follow Christ. He hasn’t looked back.

“God has been so real in my life for the last four years.”

As Stu grew in his Christian faith, friends and coworkers noticed a change.

“They saw a difference in my level of

integrity and my work ethic.” He also had more of a desire to help people.

Passionate but respectful, Stu gently shared his faith. He told people, “I care about you and here is how God shows that he cares for us and how he wants us to be with each other. “ Stu has some advice for people who want to reach out to people still involved in Wiccan practices: “Don’t try to make Christianity seem better. It will just make them angry. Love them and model for them a good example of Christ.”

God continues to call After leaving his Wiccan beliefs behind to follow Jesus, Stu Blyde wanted to share his faith full-time.

Together with his pastor and church community, he discerned that God was inviting him to become a pastor.

But how could he prepare himself at Bible college with a family to support?

His boss at the successful machine shop where he was employed told him, “You can work here the rest of your life.

We don’t do layoffs.”

In 2008, the recession hit and Stu lost his job. Through a government-sponsored retraining program Stu began studying to be a pastor. He has completed three years of school, and has one more year to go before attending seminary. In the meantime, he works part time as at his church.

Photo by Balazs Toth (DepositPhotos)

As a teenager Stu Blyde remembers thinking, “Christianity couldn’t possibly be true.” The Christians surrounding him lived a “wimpy, shallow” faith that repelled him. Stu decided he was an atheist. But in his mid-twenties, he became aware of a spiritual realm.

“Everything isn’t just scientific and random,” says Stu. He felt there was a consciousness in the universe that science couldn’t explain.

On his search for what or whom this consciousness might be, Stu was intrigued by books about Wicca and Neopaganism that he discovered in the New Age section of a bookstore.

Wicca is one of several new forms of Paganism. Though there is considerable diversity in the practice of Wicca, in general adherents honour a variety of gods and goddesses. They also believe that divinity is found in all things.

Wiccans follow an ethical code and perform magical rituals.

Stu was fascinated by the idea that every living thing, and even inanimate objects like the moon and stars, had a spiritual essence. He was also drawn to the promise of harnessing spiritual power.

He began observing Wicca in earnest.

“In my daily life I was a practitioner of magic. I would perform certain rituals, cast spells, read tarot cards, and the like.”

Stu was a Wiccan for nine years—but the religion did not completely satisfy his deepest spiritual longings.

Though he may have helped to reverse the extremely bad luck of a co-worker through casting a spell, in general Stu was disappointed by the lack of power of his gods. He was also frustrated by the eclectic assortment of Wiccan beliefs that seemed to affirm opposing truths.

The overly tolerant sounding, “What you believe is fine for you” and “We’re both right” weren’t enough for him. He began to wonder, “Is there good and evil?” and “Who governs what is right and wrong?”

Deep down Stu suspected that there must be some kind of absolute truth— but he still wanted nothing to do with Christianity.

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seven – issue twenty-six september – october, 2012 page 14

Metamorphoses, Transformations, and Other Terrors of Impermanence

By Michael Gilmour

Think about it. Ugly ducklings become beautiful swans all the time, and with a little help from Charles Atlas, skinny teenagers get the bulk needed to confront the bullies kicking sand in their faces. Comic books and films constantly reinvent the superhero formula, with mild-mannered every man-types suddenly emerging as a bigger than life villains or caped do-gooders. Some of these transformations are unambiguously negative.

The living become undead (vampires) or walking dead (zombies), and others transform through possession, as with Regan MacNeil in the 1973 film The Exorcist, to name a few. A few more examples illustrate the diversity of transformation tales and their remarkable flexibility as carriers of social and cultural meaning.

At the opening of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis (1915), Gregor Samsa awakes from a troubled sleep to discover himself “transformed into a monstrous vermin,” thus awaking not from a nightmare but into one.

His loss of humanity and dignity appears to resemble similar shortcomings he experiences in his career. Rather humorously, his thoughts shift almost immediately to this subject after becoming aware of his newfound state, as though that subject were as troubling as his new, insect-like form: “‘Oh God,’ he thought, ‘what a grueling [sic] profession I picked!

Traveling day in, day out. It is much more aggravating work than the actual business done at the home office, and then with the strain of constant travel as well: the worry over train connections, the bad and irregular meals, the steady stream of faces who never become anything closer than acquaintances. The Devil take it all!’”

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Photo by bilbord99 (Flickr)

Stories involving metamorphoses of people into new states of existence are ancient and widely represented in literature at least since the Latin writer Ovid (43 BCE-17 CE) gathered up his collection of tales about “bodies . . . transformed into shapes of a different kind,” and they remain surprisingly commonplace in our culture.

features

Photo by Sebastien Dooris (Flickr)

Transformations…

What is disturbing here is the suggestion that the everyday, monotonous responsibilities of modern life can distort and destroy the individual.

Gregor provides for his family’s needs, doing what his parents and sister, and his society expect of him. Unexpectedly, the force that robs Gregor of his humanity and transforms him into “a monstrous vermin” is not some remote and fantastic witch’s spell or sorcerer’s charm but instead something common to all modern, urbanites. It is the daily grind with all its mind-numbing routines and demands.

Consider also Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), which also involves a dramatic transformation, this time one involving a loss of human decency and propriety: “Even as good shone upon the countenance of the one, evil was written broadly and plainly on the face of the other. Evil… left on that body an imprint of

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deformity and decay…. Edward Hyde, alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil.”

Stevenson’s focus is individual morality (suggested by such terms as ‘evil’ and ‘pleasure’), with perhaps a sideways glance at a careless indulgence in scientific inquiry, characteristic of the late nineteenth century. It is a story about the monster within the soul of every man, frightening because of the possibility that readers might become victims of the same types of destructive temptations.

Mr. Hyde is both man and beast, and by aligning immorality and evil, pleasure and clandestine behaviour with this villain, Stevenson reminds readers of a lurking potential within themselves, that they too can become monstrous. The close relationship of human and animal, good and evil, dignity and shame in such metamorphosis stories brings to mind the closing words of George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945): “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

Transformations and metamorphoses can be positive or negative, literal or figurative. The scarecrow, tinman, and lion gain wisdom, emotion, and courage quite apart from the incompetence of the Wizard of Oz. Here the changes are not literal. The heroes in Oz did not actually become something different (unless you compare them with their doppelgangers working as farm-hands on Auntie Em’s farm in the 1939 film) because in fact they possessed those prized noble qualities all along and needed only the right circumstances to realize their potential.

Literal metamorphoses are common in contemporary storytelling too, following along in Ovid’s wake, as in Salman Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses (1988) and Joe Hill’s Horns (2010) where we find

characters physically morphing into devillike entities.

Many writers also use animal similes and descriptive metaphors to capture certain qualities in their characters. This is most evident in descriptions of literary villains, as in Charles Dickens’ presentation of Uriah Heep, to choose an example almost at random. When describing him, David Copperfield uses such terms as “writhing” to depict Heep’s movements, refers to “the snaky twistings of his throat and body,” and more than once finds his fishy or frog-like handshakes repulsive. This character lacks humanity; he is a “monster in the garb of man” but still literally a human being. Elsewhere he is “a red-headed animal,” a dog, and a serpent. One thing authors communicate through such use of bestial imagery is a backward evolution, a regression to a less-thanhuman or less-than-civilized state, a moral regression. There is something troubling about movement from one state of being to another, whether literal or figurative, particularly when it is movement toward destructive behaviours.

At the risk of over-generalizing, metamorphoses, transformations, and animal-like characters startle us because they defy notions of permanence and question assumptions about the superiority of men over other species (we can change for the worse). Too easily and quickly, the writers of these stories seem to say, people succumb to degradations.

The root cause of our anxieties vary widely. To recall examples just cited, the routines and demands of modern society that limit fulfillment and contentment (Kafka) are as soul destroying as the lust for pleasure (Stevenson). Regardless of the particular cause, they indicate that men change, often reverting to some lessthan-ideal condition. The noblest qualities of our species are impermanent.

Photo by olly18 (DepositPhotos)

Progress is a chimera because men eventually regress, either choosing to become bestial through their behaviour, or having a nonhuman status thrust on them by others (i.e., victims of violence treated as subhuman by their oppressors).

Another thread running through the long tradition of metamorphosis stories involves a sense of inevitability.

Frequently, transformations are fated, beyond our ability to control, and not necessarily deserved. Many stories in Ovid’s writings describe punishments that do not fit the crimes committed, suggesting an absence of a human causal explanation for transformation. For instance, Apollo turns the partly human Ocyroe into a horse for no other reason than her skill in prophecy: “Would that I did not know the future!

Now I seem to see my human form stolen

away; now meadow grass is my food, to gallop over the broad plains is my delight.

I am changed into a mare, a creature to which I am already akin’” (i.e., she was the daughter of a centaur).

The whims of the gods are at play in such stories: “My purpose,” writes Ovid in the invocation that opens his Metamorphoses, “is to tell of bodies which have transformed into shapes of a different kind. You heavenly powers, since you were responsible for those changes, as for all else, look favourably on my attempts.”

Other writers also emphasise the inevitability of metamorphosis as a phenomenon beyond the human victim’s control. The character in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) explains that even though he can control his behaviour following metamorphosis into a werewolf with the

help of medication, that change itself is inevitable.

“As long as I take [the Potion] in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform… I am able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.”

Like Ocyroe, John Remus Lupin’s fate seems cruel. His condition is merely the consequence of a bite received as a child rather than any evil on his part.

There is much, much more to say about the cultural significance of the long, diverse traditions involving metamorphoses. However, for the purposes of this short reflection, I conclude with a few thoughts about ways these stories resonate with biblical literature and prized beliefs of Christian faith.

A key term I highlight is impermanence.

Continued next page…

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features

Photo by Straga (DepositPhotos)

Transformations…

All aspects of earthly human existence are impermanent. Our experiences in this world are never static, and storytellers continuously narrate various forms of our individual and collective progressions.

We never step in the same river twice, and day-to-day, year-to-year, generationto-generation the world and everything in it is constantly in a state of change, for better or worse. We have transformation stories depicting personal growth and maturation (as in novels like Great Expectations or those in the Harry Potter series, and others fixated on the transformation of the human body, which is always and inexorably stumbling toward decay. Some of the latter involve (hopefully!) sensational elements, as in zombie stories.

There are countless movies—often in the sci-fi and horror categories—that reflect our anxieties about the impermanence of the physical world as well, sometimes manifesting as alien invasions, nuclear proliferation, environmental disaster, and unforeseen consequences of scientific/biological

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experiments or technological advancements. Consider, for instance, where the monsters come from in the various incarnations of the War of the Worlds, Godzilla, or Terminator stories.

Impermanence is an important thread running through biblical literature as well, where we find many metamorphoses and transformations. Consider these recurring images that play constantly in the writings of the prophets and apostles, indicating forms of movement/transformation and progress/regress, often (at least potentially) in both directions: garden to wilderness; slavery to freedom; homeland to exile; darkness to light; below to above. The list could go on. We could attach a wide number of passages and stories to these and many other categories that are emblematic of change within the spiritual life, whether for Israel, the community of Jesus’ followers, or the individual.

Though some biblical metamorphoses involve changes for the worse (e.g., Nebuchadnezzar’s debasement [Daniel 4:28-33]; church members leaving “the straight road” [2 Peter 2:15]), many others

celebrate divinely assisted transformations that lift the human condition from despair to comfort, degradation to dignity: “He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog” (Psalm 40:2).

The fixation with impermanence in storytelling also reminds us to be wary of grasping the things of this world too firmly. All things must pass, as the Hindu George Harrison sings, and according to Jesus, we do well not to store up for ourselves “treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 5:19). Ultimately, the spectre of impermanence is not a terror for believers. Yes, “we will all be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51) but thanks be to God, we need not face the inevitable transformations we encounter on our own.

Michael Gilmour is Associate Professor of English Literature and New Testament at Providence University College. Look for Michael’s blog on religion and culture at The Huffington Post.

Photo by B. Collins (Flickr)

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features

Photo by monkeybusiness4781520 (DepositPhotos)

Christian perspectives on the observance of Halloween are strongly divided. Some believers feel complete freedom to observe the holiday, others run and hide from it, many boycott or ignore it, a number celebrate it through more positive and imaginative observances or Christian alternatives to Halloween, and still others choose to take advantage of Halloween’s evangelistic opportunities.

What Does the Bible Say About Halloween?

By Mary Fairchild

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History Some of today’s popular celebrations associated with Halloween have pagan roots stemming from the ancient Celtic festival, Samhain. This harvest festival of the Druids ushered in the New Year, beginning on the evening of October 31, with the lighting of bonfires and the offering of sacrifices. As the Druids danced around the fires, they celebrated the ending of the summer season and the beginning of the season of darkness. It was also believed that at this time of year the invisible “gates” between the natural world and the spirit world would open, allowing free movement between the two worlds.

During the 8th century in the diocese of Rome, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day to November 1, officially making October 31 “All Hallows Eve,” some say, as a way of claiming the celebration for Christians. However, this feast commemorating the martyrdom of the saints had already been celebrated by Christians for many centuries prior to this time. Pope Gregory IV broadened the feast to include the entire Church.

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Inevitably, some of the pagan practices associated with the season persisted and have been mixed into modern celebrations of Halloween.

What Does the Bible Say? Ephesians 5:7-12 Don’t participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.(NLT) Many Christians believe that participating in Halloween is a form of involvement in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness. However, many consider the modern-day Halloween activities of most to be harmless fun.

Are some Christians trying to remove themselves from the world? Ignoring Halloween or celebrating it with believers only is not exactly an evangelical approach. Aren’t we supposed to “become all things to all men so that by all possible means” we might save some?

(1 Corinthians 9:22) Deuteronomy 18:10-12 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling or

sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is an object of horror and disgust to the Lord.

Well, these verses are pretty clear on what a Christian should not do. But how many Christians are sacrificing their sons and daughters as a burnt offering on Halloween? How many are calling forth the spirits of the dead? The verse does not say that “trick or treating” disgusts the Lord.

However, what if you have come to the Christian faith from a background in the occult? What if, before you became a Christian, you did practice some of these deeds associated with witchcraft and sorcery? Perhaps refraining from Halloween and its activities is the safest and most appropriate response for you as an individual.

Rethinking the Issue There are many other Bible verses similar to these two, but nothing that specifically warns against observing Halloween. Rather than providing an answer, the purpose of this article is to cause you to ask yourself questions and think about your convictions on this issue.

As Christians, why are we here in this world? Are we here to live in a safe and protected environment, guarded against the evils in the world, or are we called to reach out into a world filled with dangers and be the light of Christ? Halloween brings people of the world to our door step. Halloween brings our neighbors out

into the streets. I can think of various creative ways to seize this opportunity for developing new relationships and sharing my faith.

Is it possible that our negativity toward Halloween only alienates the people we seek to reach? Can we be in the world, but not of the world?

Resolution I close with a recommendation to give serious thought to the appropriateness of judging another Christian for observing or not observing Halloween. We do not know why another person participates in the holiday or why they do not. We cannot accurately judge the motivations and intentions of another person’s heart.

I believe the most appropriate Christian response to Halloween is to study the matter for yourself and follow the convictions of your own heart. Let others do the same without condemnation from you.

(c) 2012 Mary Fairchild (http://christianity.about.com/). Used with permission of About, Inc., which can be found online at www.about.com. All rights reserved.

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features

A vision of Jesus. A child raised from the dead. A meagre portion of food multiplied.

Stories of God’s miraculous power frequently emerge from countries around the world. Many Westerners wonder why these supernatural events are more prevalent in other cultures and why God chooses to work in this manner.

Ron Pearce, Founder and Executive Director of Empower Ministries, regularly travels to countries where miracles commonly occur. Empower encourages the National Church in regions Pearce refers to as “spiritual hotspots.” These

FEAR OF DEATH Another key aspect is the fear of death and the afterlife. The people of the world’s spiritual hotspots face a shorter life expectancy, and serve gods that terrorize, subjugate or must be appeased.

“The people are buying the gods’ goodwill through sacrifices and offerings,” says Pearce. “They’ve never heard of a life after death that is sure and in the hands of a loving God.” God uses supernatural events to prove that He exists, to show that He is a loving God who wants to reveal Himself to

heaven. When he awakes, he knows he has heard from God, saying: “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I did not know it…. This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (vv. 12-16, NASB) From that time onward, dreams and visions have been important to both the Jewish and Arabic peoples. In Ethiopia, for example, a man dreamt he was in a city filled with Christians that was surrounded by fire. The next day he mistakenly entered a Christian rally.

He turned to run, but saw that the entire

Christ’s Love Revealed through the Supernatural An interview and reflection with Ron Pearce places of spiritual awakenings are often found in nations where believers experience significant persecution and poverty. They faithfully share the gospel with their countrymen who are desperately searching for hope. “God is responding through supernatural events,” says Pearce.

A GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS During his many travels abroad, Pearce has observed commonalities in areas where supernatural events frequently occur. Perhaps most fundamental is a God-consciousness.

“All religions and cultures of the world have some knowledge of a god,” says Pearce. “It’s in their history, folklore, culture—their whole mindset.” Citing Romans 1:20 he says: “Everyone knows through general revelation there is a god.

The question is: what is He like?”

Even in countries like China and Vietnam where religious freedom is restricted, traditional religions are such an integral and longstanding part of the culture that they remain an important basis of people’s attitudes and values.

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mankind, and who has a plan of salvation through His Son, Jesus.

“When God breaks through the supernatural barrier into the natural world through a miracle or some other demonstration of his power,” says Pearce, “it is always, always tied to the message of love in Christ. Every culture points to this rule.”

And the result is always the same: vast numbers come to faith in Christ.

“Every culture where there is revival, there are people looking for a God who loves them,” says Pearce.

CULTURE-SPECIFIC Pearce also observes that God performs miracles in culture-specific ways, explaining that each people group has been shaped by God with particular characteristics. “When God sends His Holy Spirit,” says Pearce, “He does so in a way that makes sense to each individual society.”

In the Middle East and Arab world, dreams and visions are common.

This can be traced back in recorded history to Genesis 28 where the Patriarch Jacob dreams about a ladder that reaches

By Heidi Champagne

place was ringed by fire. He fell to the floor, was prayed for, delivered from demonic possession, and accepted Christ. He is now actively involved in Christian ministry.

In Asian countries like Vietnam, healings occur frequently which demonstrate God’s compassionate love.

A key leader reported that his method for church planting is to go into a village, find the three sickest people and pray for them. God heals them, the gospel is preached, a church is planted, and the people are taught about Jesus.

In India, where the vast Hindu population worships millions of deities, God uses supernatural acts to prove he is above all manmade gods.

In Central and South America where people face scarcity of food and guerrilla factions, God shows His loving concern by supernaturally providing for one’s daily needs. In a culture highly influenced by the organized Church, where many do not know a personal relationship with Christ is possible, the realization that God intimately cares about a person’s most basic requirements is deeply significant.

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Photos courtesy of Empower Ministries

Christ’s Love Revealed…

THE INDWELLING There is another type of miracle that is occurring in vast numbers; one which cultures outside North America rank as highly as other miraculous demonstrations.

“Just as real and just as supernatural is when a person accepts Christ,” says Pearce. “The Holy Spirit indwells them and they can actually sense God’s presence in their life.”

Although Canadian believers experience the identical indwelling, Pearce suggests they often do not notice the indwelling of the Spirit in the same way because most are not converted from religions connected to demonic activity.

Not only that, but North American society is so distracted by materialism and accustomed to taking care of their own needs that they don’t recognize their spiritual poverty without God. But God is by no means less interested in the Western world.

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“God so loved the whole world,” says Pearce, “that He sent and revealed his Son. The West cries out in need and God answers our prayers too because He loves us just as much. But unlike Western society which sometimes becomes more enthralled with supernatural occurrences than with the God who made them, the areas of the world where there is great spiritual darkness, the people are so hungry for a relationship with a loving God that they look right through the supernatural delivery system and cry out in amazement: ‘There is a God and He loves even me!’ This is the hope for a world on the edge of despair.”

sports scene

features

Sports Superstitions Athletes searching for that magical extra.

by Scott Taylor

begin the Stanley Cup tournament in mid-April and don’t shave again until their team has been eliminated or they are hoisting the Cup. It has become as much a team superstition as an individual superstition and it’s thought that a curse will be placed on the player who defies the ritual of the playoff beard.

However, according to Goring, it started because of the schedule.

Back in the early 80s, the players didn’t get a prolonged playoff run with games spread apart every two or three days. In fact, they might play four games in five nights. Because a player’s freshly-shaven face would become irritated by the inevitable sweat that dripped off his chin during a game, the Islanders, almost as a group, would just stop shaving. Goring said that he and teammates such as Bobby Nystrom, Denis Potvin, Clark Gillies and goalie Billy Smith loved how the beards made them “look tougher.” As a result, they kept the beards throughout the playoffs. In fact, for the rest of his career, Goring himself always kept a little growth, just to remind opponents that he was tougher than he looked.

Then there is the story of Larry Walker, the great baseball player from Maple Ridge, B.C., who played for the Montreal Expos, the Colorado Rockies and the St. Louis Cardinals. Walker is, arguably, Canada’s greatest MLB player.

While he became the 1997 National League MVP through hard work, dedication and freakish natural talent, Walker will probably tell you it was the No. 3 that got him to the top of the game.

Walker was different. He was one of the rare players who had his own “official” theme song. It was Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.” It was appropriate.

Walker was so obsessed with the No. 3 that his jersey number was always 33. This is a guy who married his first wife on Nov. 3 at 3:33 p.m. The only reason he didn’t get married in March was because of spring training. He took practice swings in multiples of three. He once told a reporter that he set his alarm clock for 33 past the hour and, because he loved doing things for other people he purchased 33 season tickets in Section 333 at Olympic Stadium and gave them to disadvantaged children in Montreal.

However, marrying in November may have been ‘unlucky.’ He and his first wife eventually divorced, but according to Ken Leiker’s Jinxed: Baseball Superstitions From Around the Major Leagues, Walker offered his ex a $3 million settlement.

Seriously.

Walker hit 383 home runs in his career.

The Bill James’ Baseball Abstract always wondered if his final 50 home runs were unintentional.

Photo from Archives de la Ville de Montreal

For those professional athletes who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the mere idea of having a superstition, seems counter-intuitive.

After all, if you believe, and if you believe that God is in your corner, there is no need to concern yourself with playoff beards, old t-shirts and what number you wear on your jersey.

But history tells us, nothing could be further from the truth.

Take my friend Corey Koskie as an example. There is no better promise keeper that I know. Corey is committed to his faith, walks daily with the Lord, is a great husband and father and is totally committed to Scripture. And yet during his nine-year Major League Baseball career with Minnesota, Toronto and Milwaukee, Koskie wore the same 1998 Team Canada hockey t-shirt under his uniform from the first day of his big league career to the day he retired.

You should have seen it at the end.

“It’s a tribute to Team Canada,” he said back in 2004, “but it’s also for good luck.

I’d be lyin’ if I told you otherwise.”

Whether he follows the Lord or his own cosmic muffin, today’s athlete probably has some kind of superstition. There seems to be something deep down in his DNA that tells him he has to wear the same socks on Tuesdays or he’ll go into a prolonged slump. Or worse yet, his team will lose.

As Canadians we’ve all watched our share of Stanley Cup playoff games and most of us know the importance of the playoff beard. While no one is absolutely certain of the origin of the playoff beard, Butch Goring tells me it dates back to the New York Islanders of the early 1980s.

For the uninitiated, players start growing their “playoff beards” when they

Scott Taylor is a Winnipeg-based sportswriter and broadcaster.

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money matters

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly!

Beware—debt occurs with alarming ease and speed.

by Karen Bjerland

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 film starring Clint Eastwood.

It’s a tough-minded western tale about pure human greed that depicts a loner, a bandit and a bounty hunter who set out to find a hidden fortune. I’m not suggesting that you watch this movie, but the title can certainly be applied to something we should all be concerned about—debt.

Many of us shudder at the word.

It can suggest weakness and servitude, obligations and liabilities. While our economy could not function without debt, it becomes a problem when it is abused.

Debt occurs with alarming ease and speed. ‘Back to school,’ team sports, and the upcoming Christmas season are easy times of year for household debt to pile up. Here are some things for you to consider about the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to debt.

Good debt enables us to achieve worthwhile goals in a financially sound way. Romans 13:7 encourages us to pay what we owe. “Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honour to those who are in authority.” A low interest mortgage on a house with manageable monthly payments is a good debt.

It provides a place to live, to raise your family, and it’s a way to build equity.

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Bad debt is money owed for nonessential purchases. In Luke 12:15 we read, “Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.”

A new jacket for each family member may not cost that much but on a credit card, its allure may vanish long before the bill is paid. Most bad debt is built up through small multiple purchases. Even though you need a vehicle, it might be a bad debt because of interest and depreciation.

Bad debt should be given first priority when it comes to improving your financial situation, and the biggest reason is the interest rate.

Ugly interest is something that most Canadians have little or no knowledge about. It is a result of the bondage of debt. In Proverbs 22:7 we read, “Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.” Interest is charged against debts, especially debts from credit cards. This is disturbing because interest on outstanding debts is money that buys us nothing. Credit card companies usually charge 18 to 20 per cent annually on outstanding balances.

Retail stores can charge even more.

Credit is a loan, and all loans are defined as either secured or unsecured.

The mortgage on your house is secured because the mortgage lender can claim the house and property if you fail to

repay the loan. This reduces the risk and justifies a lower interest rate. Credit cards represent unsecured loans. Only your promise to repay the money provides any assurance to the creditor. When the risk goes up, so does the ugly interest rate.

Many Canadians are in serious debt.

As long as they can handle their monthly minimum payment on the credit cards, they believe they are not in trouble.

Credit card debt should be a top priority.

The general guideline for monthly payments to credit cards and all consumer loans is 15 per cent of after-tax income. If your debt payments (excluding your mortgage) exceed 15 percent of your net income, it’s time to start doing something about it.

To deal with the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to debt, begin by categorizing your debts.

Assign measurable goals and realistic plans to reduce and eliminate them as quickly as possible and remember this important first step found in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

Karen Bjerland is President & CEO of FaithLife Financial.

Out of my depth

That’s Supernatural Seeing the spectacular in everyday life.

by Mark Buchanan

“Supernatural” is the motto for my province, British Columbia. It’s a clever pun: B.C. is renowned for its natural splendors—towering mountains, cascading waterfalls, surging oceans, and tumbling rivers. We have fjords and glaciers, deserts and rain forests, orchards and vineyards, and much else.

The land is a cornucopia of natural wonders, so much so that calling it natural doesn’t do it justice.

It’s exceedingly abundantly more than all that—it’s nature on steroids.

It’s, well, supernatural.

As clever as that is, it’s also a caricature. No one uses supernatural this way. Though we have trivialized and eroded the language of transcendence (think of the overuse of the word “awesome”), we still retain a sense that the supernatural is more than just a heightened or intensified version of the natural. We still mean by it the subversion of nature, the re-ordering of it.

Something new, something Other, something beyond, has broken in.

A power that transcends or defies the laws of nature is on the loose, to perform wonders or to wreak havoc. That’s what we mean by supernatural.

On any given day, one need only scan movie or television listings or best-seller lists to realize our culture is smitten with the idea. It is our collective obsession.

We flip-flop on it between longing and dread—one movie portrays the supernatural as the cure for all that ails us, the next depicts it as the sum of all our fears. It mends us or rends us, redeems us or destroys us. It is a force to be welcomed and cherished, or a force to be shunned and resisted.

It’s very good for you or very bad for you, but rarely both.

In this, contemporary lore has split the biblical understanding of the supernatural in two, and can’t decide between them. The biblical portrait of the supernatural is of power from beyond which is either pure evil or ultimate good, depending on its source. If it comes from the pit, it is destructive, vile, hideous. If it comes from above, it is redemptive, good, lovely. If the devil’s behind it, he’s out to ruin you. If God’s at work, He’s here to transform you.

Our culture has intuitively grasped both these things, but not together.

Of course, the reason for this is obvious: we have, as a culture, lost the overarching narrative that makes sense of the supernatural. We no longer have a robust belief in God (though, and not coincidentally, we do have an overactive belief in the demonic) and so any biblical residue we retain about the supernatural is thin indeed. In its place, we’ve mixed up a swampwater of mumbo-jumbo, superstition, science-fiction. We flit between dreamscape and nightmare.

We’re fascinated by it, and deeply confused.

How different this is from the world Jesus inhabited. In the pages of Scripture, there is a refreshing matter-of-factness about the reality of the supernatural. It exists, in both demonic and divine forms.

It shows up a lot. But it is not the main attraction. In fact, though the supernatural is vividly present, it functions as a footnote to the larger, grander story. Yes, the devil’s minions show up with tedious regularity.

Yes, Jesus sends them howling back to the pit time and time again. And when not trouncing Beelzebub, Jesus is often undoing his carnage and damage— healing the lame, opening the eyes

of the blind, curing the sick, raising the dead. The story can’t be told—or believed—without a solid account of the supernatural.

It’s just not the most interesting thing going on. The exorcisms, the miracles, the multiplying of loaves and fishes, the transmutation of water to wine, the water-walking—this and all the rest— Jesus simply calls them signs. A sign never draws attention to itself. It always only points elsewhere. A sign to Vancouver is not Vancouver. It’s just telling you how to get there. A sign of Jesus is not Jesus.

It too is just telling you how to get there.

The most interesting thing about the story of Jesus is Jesus. The most gripping thing about the supernatural world He inhabits and commands is that it all points to Him. One of the best-known stories of Jesus sums it up well. Nicodemus comes to Jesus with high praise: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

And Jesus replies: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Jesus is saying, “Nick, you want supernatural? You think changing water into wine is the real show? Hand me your heart, and then watch what I can do.

I can make you new.”

That’s supernatural.

Mark Buchanan is an author and pastor living on Vancouver Island. The author of several best-selling books, his most recent title is Spiritual Rhythm.

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power play

Great games. Great toys.

Great gadgets.

Reviews by Sandy McMurray

ELECTRIC SKATES hammacher.com

Walking is exhausting. So much effort!

Wouldn’t it be better to have wheels on our shoes? That would be a start. And why stop there? Maybe we could have both wheels and a motor!

Good news if you’re rich and lazy: for just $700, you can turn your shoes into motorized electric roller skates. Just strap the skates over your shoes, press the remote control throttle, and you can zip along at speeds up to 8 miles per hour.

“Gentle stops” are achieved by pulling back on the throttle, or by dragging the heel stopper.

Each skate has a removable lithiumion battery that provides up to 40 minutes of continuous power (5-6 mile range). It takes about five hours to recharge using the included AC adapter.

You could buy a pretty great bicycle for $700. How much to add a motor to that?

MODERN MIXTAPES makerbot.com/mixtape

Long before iPhones and satellite radio, when Sony Walkmen were everywhere, playlists were called mixtapes. You couldn’t just download songs; each track came from a different record, or from other cassette tapes, or from the radio. Making a mixtape took patience and creativity. Sharing a mixtape was a real gift.

The modern version of the mixtape, as imagined by MakerBot, is a tiny MP3 player embedded in a plastic case that looks like a

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cassette tape. It has room for about 400 songs, 4 hours of battery life, and can also be used to transfer data files from computer to computer.

You can buy a MakerBot Mixtape for $39. If you own a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer ($1,749), you can buy the Mixtape electronics for just $25 then print your own case.

be seen how Surface will fare against the iPad and other tablets, but it’s nice to see Microsoft taking some risks and getting in the game.

Surface (the basic version) is expected to ship in October, when Windows 8 becomes available. The more robust (and more expensive) Surface Pro will ship in 2013. As of this writing, prices have not been announced.

MICROSOFT SURFACE

SOMBRERO JUICER

surface.com

umbra.com

It’s smaller and thinner than most laptops. It has a touch screen

and an optional keyboard.

It’s not just a tablet; it’s a tablet PC from Microsoft.

Surface comes with two built-in cameras, a USB port, a micro-SD slot, and a magnetic strip to attach accessories.

The built-in “kickstand” allows Surface to be propped up at an angle to view video.

Microsoft announced Surface (and its big brother, Surface Pro) at a media event in June. Unlike most Windows PCs, this new device is all Microsoft. The company is making its own tablets to compete not only with Apple but also with traditional hardware partners like Dell and HP. Tech journalists at the launch were especially impressed by the Type Cover with the built-in keyboard. It remains to

Once in a while, someone has an idea that makes you slap your head and ask, “Why didn’t I think of that?” You don’t need a juicer and a funnel if you have a juicer that's also a funnel! The fact that it looks like a little sombrero is just for fun.

The sombrero juicer goes right into your bottle or glass, so you can add a bit of lemon or lime directly to your iced tea or soda water. Just add nachos to turn any refreshing drink into a fiesta.

MARVEL MOVIES BOX SET amazon.com

Iron Man, released in 2008, was a big success for Marvel Studios. It was also part of a remarkable plan that prepared the way for The Avengers in 2012. Each of the major characters in The Avengers was introduced in a blockbuster movie: Iron Man was followed by The Incredible Hulk (2008),

power play

Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

Much like the comics on which they were based, these stories all took place in a ‘universe’ that shares the same history, locations, and characters. There have been movie crossovers before, but never anything quite like this.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a box set that wraps up The Avengers in a collectable package that includes Blu-ray copies of all six films plus a bonus disc (“The Phase One Archives”). The collectable package is a replica of Nick Fury's briefcase and includes your very own Cosmic Cube. (Use at your own risk, and please, do not destroy the universe; Marvel spent five years building it.)

REMOTE CONTROL belkin.com/wemo

You know those timers that plug into electrical outlets to turn lamps on and off at specific times? WeMo is like that, but better. It’s a timer, a motion sensor, and an adapter that connects electrical outlets to your smart phone. When you want to control lamps, fans, coffee makers, and more remotely, there’s an app for that.

You can turn on the coffee maker before getting out of bed, or turn on the air conditioner before you leave work. Set the living room lights to turn off automatically when you leave the room.

At $50 each, WeMo switches and motion sensors are relatively inexpensive compared to other home automation systems.

WeMo also works with a popular web service called If This Then That, to trigger events based on other events. So you can receive a text message when a sensor is triggered, or set a lamp to turn on when the sun sets.

HOW TIE worldwidefred.com

Some modern men never wear ties. Other men wear ties only occasionally.

Many of these men share a terrible secret: they’re not quite sure how to tie a proper knot.

The How Tie solves this problem by printing the instructions directly on the tie itself. If you don’t know a Windsor knot from a Half Nelson, there’s no need to resort to a clip-on. With the How Tie, you’ll never forget how it’s done, and your very presence may rescue some other hapless gentleman whose knot has come loose. You’re welcome.

BURNING QUESTION theburninghouse.com

If your house was on fire, what would you take with you? (Assume that all the people are safe, and you have a couple of minutes to gather some belongings. What would you grab?)

The Burning House,

by Foster Huntington, challenges you to consider what's important to you and why. The book is based on Huntington’s website, where people post photos of the stuff they consider too precious to lose. Each picture tells a story about a collection of objects, and about the person to whom those objects belong.

How much do you care about things? What things do you care about and why?

HOT AND COLD chilitechnology.com

McDonalds used to have a hamburger called the McDLT. It was sold in a twosided container that separated the meat and bottom bun from the rest of the sandwich. The idea was to keep the hot side hot, and the cool side cool.

Many married couples would like to have a bed like this. Women want different temperature zones, so both partners can be comfortable, and men want to eat hamburgers in bed.

I thought of the McDLT when I read about the ChiliBed mattress. It uses a water circulation system to create two zones of heating or cooling with independent controls. Couples can set and adjust individual temperatures, to ensure a more comfortable sleep for both partners.

The same water circulation technology is also available in the ChiliPad mattress cover. ChiliPad uses soft medical grade silicone tubing to circulate water through the pad. Dualzone ChiliPads have separate tubing and independent control units for each side.

The ChiliPad ranges in price from $399 for a Single to $999 for a dual zone King size. They just might save your marriage, especially if you get to eat hamburgers in bed again.

Sandy McMurray writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca and techstuff.ca

seven – issue twenty-six september – october, 2012 page 29

What women want

How to Rev Her Engines Seven ways to keep things running in top gear.

by Sheila Wray Gregoire

As the female columnist for a men’s magazine, I often have guys asking me, “What’s one thing I can do to make my wife want sex more?” If there were a marriage magic bullet, I’d be rich.

But in speaking with women, I have discovered seven things that can at least point you in the right direction towards a great sex life: 1. Tell Your Wife She’s Beautiful Counting your wife’s calories is not cool. Telling her, “I have to be honest, and I just don’t find you sexy anymore since you had kids” is not cool.

Questioning what she orders at a restaurant is not cool.

Insulting her weight is a surefire recipe for disaster in your sex life—and your marriage. If you want to love her sacrificially, and empower her to change, then caress her. Love her. Show her what body parts you adore–because chances are she’s way harder on herself than you ever could be.

And if you really would prefer that she lose weight, then do it with her! Suggest you take a walk together after dinner.

Start cooking healthy meals. If you don’t find her attractive, then you’re part of the problem. Be part of the solution, too.

2. Touch Her—Without Expecting It to Go Anywhere So many women stop kissing as soon as they walk down the aisle because too many husbands give their wives the message that kissing = a promissory note for sex later. If you give that impression, then you’ve also guaranteed you’ll have a lousy sex life.

Why? Because women aren’t always sure that they want the touch to go somewhere. So they’ll stop touching to avoid a fight. But if they stop touching,

seven – issue twenty-six september – october, 2012 page 30

they then eliminate of one of the primary ways that they feel safe, close, and even desired. You need touch in your relationship if you’re going to boost her libido. Start touching and kissing— not groping—your wife regularly.

3. Don’t Increase Her Exhaustion When I wrote The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, I found that women’s number one reason for not wanting sex is that they are absolutely exhausted. We have to be able to concentrate to enjoy making love. If we’re tired we can’t concentrate.

If you want more sex, then go out of your way to make sure your wife isn’t exhausted. Pick up a mop. Put the kids in bed. Help her figure out what commitments she can eliminate.

Sometimes she’ll resist because most women are control freaks; they get testy if a man tries to help. But push through, because she needs to feel like she doesn’t have the world on her shoulders.

4. Talk to Her Want more action in the bedroom?

Better make sure there’s action outside of the bedroom, too! Just take a walk with her every night and catch up, giving her a chance to share her heart. Ask about her day and what she’s worried about. This helps clear her head, too, so that she won’t be so distracted when making love.

5. Figure out Where the Clitoris is— And What To Do with It If your wife isn’t having a good time in bed, she certainly may have sexual issues. But for the vast majority of women, when sex doesn’t feel pleasurable it’s because her husband hasn’t taken the time to learn how to make her feel good, and she’s given up.

Take time to discover how she likes to be touched (hint: chances are it’s a lot lighter than you liked to be touched).

Many women are embarrassed to tell their husbands what they want, and others may not even know what feels good. Don’t take her silence to mean you’re doing everything right. If she’s not in ecstasy, you have work to do.

6. Clean is Sexy The best foreplay is often a shower.

If you’re stinky, she won’t want to get near. If you’re a guy who has never really enjoyed brushing his teeth, and considers showering a waste of time, then it’s time to re-evaluate your priorities. It isn’t only about doing what you want; it’s also being kind to those around you. And if you’re turning her off, it will be a lot harder to turn her on 7. Love Her Anyway Will taking these seven steps mean that your bedroom heats up? Not necessarily. There are no guarantees, and all too many women are insensitive to their husbands’ very real sexual needs.

But love her anyway. When you aren’t getting your needs met, the answer isn’t to withdraw. Love, acceptance and selflessness can turn a marriage around.

And even if they don’t, you’ve stepped out in faith to love as Jesus called you to.

If your wife doesn’t notice or appreciate it, rest assured that God always does.

Sheila Wray Gregoire delivers “Girl Talk” events across the country to help women learn more about what God intends for sex in marriage.

She’s the author of The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, and she blogs every day at http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com.

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