Thursday, November 23, 2017

Supernatural Objects


An anonymous well-wisher, knowing Bruce’s knee is very painful, left a "prayer-anointed" blanket at our door. 
[Disclaimer: I am a life-long Christian but highly skeptical in regard to unverifiable, supposedly-supernatural objects. I don’t travel to see statues cry or pictures bleed.]
I believe said blanket was blessed by the prayers of other Christians, but what that means I am not sure. So I have a few impertinent questions:

1.  Will the prayers wash out? After how many washings?
2.  Will the prayers spread to other items in the wash?
3.  Should I wash the blanket  separately?
4.  What if I wash it in a baptistery? Would the prayers stay longer?
5.  Will it stay anointed if I give it to someone else, or is it a one-user blanket?
6.  What if both Bruce and I sleep under it? Will the prayers affect us both?
7.  How does the blanket know who to bless, or heal, or save, or anoint?

Meanwhile, another well-meaning couple gave us a vial of "miraculous" oil, extracted from a "miraculous" oil- producing Bible. I believe in anointing with oil as commanded in the Bible, but am again skeptical in regard to unverifiable “miraculous” objects. I have made some assumptions:

1.  Anointing with this oil can't do any harm, even if the giver is deluded.
2.  Any resultant healing should be attributed to God and not to any "miraculous" oil or Bible.

Another Christian couple gave us some no-sugar-added apple butter. I facetiously asked if I should spread some of it on Bruce's knee. The husband, who has a similar sense of humor, said, “Yes, and then lick it off.”
Seriously, I don't believe that "believing all things" (I Corinthians) extends to superstition and flim-flam, but that landscape is gray-ish. Spiritual discernment is a gift from God that ALL Christians need to practice. I pray I do.