1 Samuel 28: Double, double, toil and trouble
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Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.” “There is one in Endor,” they said.
So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”
But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”
Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.” Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said.
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The Bible has lots of spooky stories. King Saul even put on a Halloween costume before he went to see the witch of Endor. Saul passed a law against her craft but when he needed a sign he brought her out of retirement.
When times are bad, people look for a sign. Sometimes they turn to mediums and spiritualists. Sometimes they turn to our modern soothsayers: the news outlets and talk show hosts.
Helpless, powerless people are desperate to find power somewhere. The black arts always flourish when people have lost hope. And we all enjoy some spooky stuff now and then.
When Christians came to Europe they didn't try to to outlaw the spooky stuff like the feast of Samhain. They realized the world was a scary place. They just declared the next day--All Saints Day--to mark the victory of the children of Light over the forces of Darkness.
And the Apostles' Creed confesses that we believe in the Communion of the Saints. The same God who holds us in his hands now holds our departed loved ones in his arms. We don't have to go to a witch to hear from the saints of old. We can feel them--hear them--almost touch them--every time we pray.