Pagans are growing in number by leaps and bounds, and the Church is often unsure what to do about it. Every day, you rub shoulders with members of the pagan community. Most often, you may not even realize it. However, the day will come when you will be given the opportunity to be a witness to one of them.
There is a new girl at work. As she smiles and introduces herself, you notice the pentagram on her necklace. She is a Witch. How do you react? Yes, she attended a ceremonial circle last night and took part in the rituals. So, do you fearfully make a mental note to avoid her, or do you breathe a silent prayer that God will use you in her life? Either way, I can guarantee that she will somehow be affected by your choice.
How do we reach out to a community that believes we are weak-minded, clinging blindly to the teachings of a man killed hundreds of years ago? How can you identify with an individual who calls on ‘gods and goddesses’ that you know are demons in disguise? As Pagan numbers grow, we are going to have to make decisions on these questions.
By definition, the Occult is a search for hidden truth. Witches, Wiccans, Satanists, and Pagans in general, are searching for truth. Even though you’ve heard otherwise, they are not generally seeking to destroy the Church. Rather, they most likely wouldn’t “waste their time” on a Christian, because they believe we are blind, ignorant, and unable to deal with reality. But somewhere in their own search, they have chosen the wrong path and it is slowly leading them into despair
For instance, that new girl at the office, she isn’t “out to get you”! When she hears from the others that you are a Christian, she will most likely be ambivalent. At best, she may feel sorry for your supposed ignorance. She is busy trying to find meaning in the mysteries of life.
So what now? Your new co-worker may have taken no notice of you, but suddenly you’ve been faced with a decision. As a Christian, you are called to “love your neighbor”. You’ve been commissioned to share God’s love with the world… and a new neighbor has just entered your world!
Can I give you a few “inside tips”? You see, I was once a Witch. Just like the girl in the example above, I had no time for Christianity. However, by God’s grace and mercy, and through the loving example of true followers of Christ, I came to personally experience His Truth. But I spent enough time on “the other side” to know that even though your co-worker acts like she is in control of her life, it is unraveling at the seams.
I happen to know that she is still searching for something to fill that void in her heart. Of course she would tell you otherwise, because she can’t afford to seem powerless. She has to rely on her strength, seeking to please the entities she serves. Her reality may not always be what she wants, but she is proud of the fact that she can deal with it. When she hears a Christian mention hell she laughs at the very idea, but inwardly cries out for release from the hell-on-earth she is living every day. Hell isn’t a literal place to her, it is a state of mind.
My prayer is that you will accept the challenge of allowing Christ to love this Occultist through you. I realize that you will be dealing with an unfamiliar situation and I encourage you to spend a lot of time in prayer over the matter. However, let me assure you that there is no need for a dramatic show, or any un-natural displays of religious fervor. It really is quite simple. Next week, after the staff meeting, why not ask your new ‘neighbor’ how her weekend went, just like you would ask anyone else. I’m guessing that she will be surprised that you spoke to her. She may expect the next words out of your mouth to be something about fire and brimstone, but won’t she be surprised when you just tell her about the game you saw!
What I’m saying is, befriend her! You have nothing to fear from her. Christ has delivered us from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13-14). He who is within you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). She isn’t going to place a curse on you, or hex you (but even if she tried she would only find out that Christ is stronger than anything she has ever encountered before).
When you have a close relationship with Christ, I guarantee that others will notice. Even Occultists will be aware of the difference in your life. Before a Pagan will hear anything that you have to say, they will be watching your life to see if you are authentic. Once they see that God really is within you, and that you speak with genuine love and humility, they will begin to take notice of your message of hope. Spewing Scripture references and religious facts would be meaningless, but loving someone as Christ would makes a difference!
As you build a relationship with the person you are witnessing to, they will naturally see the peace that God has given you. As their own lives are unraveling, they will be drawn to the freedom that they see in your life. Even in your imperfections, they will see God’s grace and mercy. Love, Grace, and Mercy are very appealing to an Occultist who has had to continually appease the spirits, trying desperately to continue to meet their approval.
Reaching the Pagan community is possible by allowing God to be God, and to let that be seen in our daily Christ-like examples. The power of the Spirit in our lives will attest to the fact that He truly is the God above all other gods.