'Black magic'

[Norman Turner]

After giving a Bible study, a young lady approached me briefly for prayer. The visible part of her was covered in prominent pimples. She said the rest of her body was covered also. I asked her what this was a result from. She said, "black magic." She came from a part of the world where "black magic" (e.g., "voodoo") is said to exist. From my previous Pentecostal background, I proceeded to speak to what I thought at the time were demons. I ordered them to get out of her body in Jesus' Name. I also asked her to see a dermatologist. I will probably never see this lady again, since she was in a temporary holding facility. My question is, What did the Fathers and starsi do in such cases? And, How do the Orthodox respond to such challenges today?

Thanks for your input,
Norm Turner, Toronto

[Irene]

Dear Norman,

I have Baptist cousins and I know that the thinking of the Orthodox and the Baptist are different, so I hope that I can explain my thoughts with out offending you.

This is what I understand as an Orthodox lay person.

I believe that demons can enter our homes and be near us, through inadvertant invitations that we send out by being lazy about prayer, by watching inappropriate television shows, by listening to the wrong sort of music etc...

If a person was Orthodox and they appeared to be having trouble with demons then they would see their Priest they would explain all their troubles and confess all their sins with a true contrite heart and tears, they would, with the Priests blessing take communion, sometimes this would not happen straight away, sometimes a person like this would have weeks, perhaps months of prayer said by and for them. We would ask monastics to pray for them and I would hope that there would be prayer for them without ceasing.

A lay person who is Orthodox prays and prays for this troubled person and asks for others to do the same.

To commemorate the day of our Lord's Baptism we have a special service where the water is Blessed (http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/mirjord.htm). Then we ask our Priests to come and bless our homes using this Holy Water. I believe the demons are not able to stick around when a house is blessed. We can always tell when a house has been recently blessed by a feeling of tranquility when we enter. Holy Water is kept in special bottles in our Icon corners for times of trouble or sickness and we drink it or we sprinkle it around our homes. Holy Water is precious and is sometimes kept for years before it is used.

In Christ
irene