THE STUFF LEGENDS ARE MADE OF

2 Peter 2:19 KJV

While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

                The other day, we found ourselves making another trip to Koumra to do some things in the mission homes there, and while moving things around I found a copy of the book by Warren Wiersbe, Preaching and Teaching with Imagination (Thanks, Mark Seymour, for leaving it behind). It was a good read the first time I perused through it, so I grabbed it to have some additional reading material here in Sarh. On page twenty-five I read, Imagination, It is the bridge that links the world around you with the world within you. It's great to have imagination. Imagination is what drives many to success. Ideas are formulated in the mind and imagination takes those ideas and expands them and helps us take them to fruition. Those of elder years (I am not admitting to be in that category) can look back at sci-fi television shows or magazines whose topic was future gadgets, and see how the past imaginations has been developed into realities. Imagination is a fascinating thing!

                Imagination can also work against us and hold us back. Imagination, being driven by the wrong influences can stifle us and cause our lives to be stifled in many ways. I have had several very interesting conversations over the past few days with a man that was born in the Central African Republic and now lives in Chad. He recently had to travel to another town and while traveling he saw an accident and then it began to rain. He said some people were killed in the accident and 4 people were killed in the rainstorm by lightning, which was a common occurrence in this town because the witchdoctors often kill people by using lightning. As our conversation continued, fueled by my questions, he told me of another event in which a relative of his was turned into an animal. This was also by the power of a witchdoctor, who then turned the person back into a person who then suddenly died. He told me that often the witchdoctor will transform someone into an animal, have it killed, and then have people feast on the animal.

                One of the most interesting things he relayed to me was about the fear many people have about going to certain places by the river near Sarh. He said there are men under the water in the deep part, and they will come under the water and take people. They will be taken down the river where sometimes their bodies are found, but many times they just disappear. He told a specific story about an Italian girl that was taken in the river by 6 men who had masks (the description was like that of men with scuba gear). A search was organized, the girl was found and the men were caught and put in jail. It makes me wonder if the imagination of some who heard pieces of the story caused the 'legend' of the 'men in the water' fear. I am not sure of the origin of the belief that witchdoctors can transform people into animals, but I'm sure the witchdoctors thrive on the imaginations of the people they deceive, using fear to control and manipulate.

                Satan preys upon us by taking advantage of our imaginations too. How great he can make sinful things look! He entices us to imagine how wonderful sinful pleasures will feel. He drives us to link the world around us to the world within us that he might overcome us with the desires of the flesh, putting us in a position of bondage to the sins that beset us. Ephesians 4:14 came to my mind during our talk...

Eph 4:14 KJV

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive

                It is very sad these things have such a strong hold on people in Africa. These beliefs are so strong that they do stifle their lives with fear and allow them to be influenced. The man I spoke to is a believer, yet still influenced by the legends of the world. I reminded him that there is One who certainly can transform people into a creature...

2 Cor 5:17 KJV

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.