Which is Witch?

“Pregnant woman gives birth to a stone. ‘Bewitched’ claims husband”

“Man resurrected by witch doctor six months after his funeral”

Newspapers are rarely dull in Malawi! These are just a few of the headlines that have appeared in the national newspapers in the last month. Speaking to people about these incidents has been very revealing. A few brave souls go against their cultural grain and say the stories are nonsense. Most people are troubled or even frightened by them – citing them as evidence of the pervasive, ongoing power of witchcraft. The stories provoked a debate in the national press. Is witchcraft real? It’s an interesting one for the church. On the one hand, the Bible is clear on the existence of supernatural malevolent power, and tells us not to get involved in occult activity. On the other, the fear of witchcraft has a tremendous grip on the lives of many people – a fear that is often stoked up by fire-brand preachers who peddle deliverance from its power. As a result we meet Christian people who pray fervently that their child will not start ‘flying at night’ (the trademark of witches) and live daily in fear. I can’t recall the exact quotation, but CS Lewis said there were two errors we could make about the devil. We can ignore him or pretend he doesn’t exist – the error of most Western secularists. Or we can pay too much attention to him, and live in terror of his power. Perhaps this is what we see in Malawi. Please pray for church leaders in Malawi that they will provide balanced, truthful Biblical teaching that sets people free.