THE RELUCTANT MAGICIAN

OPPOSITION TO MYSTERY

We are all magicians. Some accept that role. Others reject it. Nonetheless, it is real. We are all born with a magical nature.

What is magic? According to Webster: mag·ic| ˈmajik | noun the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces: suddenly, as if by magic, the doors start to open | do you believe in magic?

Everyone who prays is practicing magic. I speak of “real magic”, often spelled “magick”, not stage entertainment, not trickery. Many will quickly say there is no such thing. History presents a long and detailed picture of “real magic”. The Old Testament is loaded with it, prominently featuring Moses. Mose attributed the power of his magic to his God, YHWH (Yahweh — “I Am”).

God revealed this name to Moses at the burning bush, not your everyday occurrence. This word as “the name of God” was considered by some to be too holy to speak. YHWH lent magical power to Moses such that he out performed Pharaoh’s magicians. Magic was a commonly accepted reality in the OT.

Example: Moses struck a rock with his staff (wand) and water gushed out. Are we to take this literally? That’s up to you. Perhaps it is metaphorical. But, often when you find a lot of smoke, there is a fire somewhere. In the OT, there is a lot of “magical smoke”.

Magic is part of every cultural tradition world wide. All native peoples know the reality of magic. There perform it routinely. Even our European…