Faith in Things

Written by Brittany

It’s very easy to be superstitious. Athletes, and fans, will wear the same socks, shirts, even (gross) underwear for their games. They have pre-game rituals that, as the commercial says, are only stupid if they don’t work. Even I have a teddy bear that has traveled with me everywhere since my friend Lisa gave him to me when I was 17, a St. Christopher (patron saint of travelers) bracelet I’ve worn every day so far in Prague, and a Blackhawks hat I wear every time I watch one of their games. And when I was in high school, I had my hair French braided for every standardized test I took. Do I put real spiritual stock into these things? No. Do they bring temporary comfort and confidence? Absolutely.

These first two weeks at school, our students have been doing individual presentations. They have to bring one important item from home and introduce it to the class, saying why it is important to them, what it represents, etc. This has been a great way to learn more about our students as well as assess their English speaking skills. What I didn’t expect to gain was insight into the spirituality of some of the Czech people and a small knowledge of where they place their confidences.

As students brought items from home, one word kept popping up: “talisman.” Objects ranging from necklaces, bracelets, and charms to an American quarter, a heart shaped rock, and a small, antique wolf statue. The students described these as things they keep with them when they take tests, when they travel, and just on normal days for protection and luck. Even if students did not describe their items as such, when their classmates asked them questions, the query, “Does it bring you luck?” came up frequently. The idea of an object granting luck and giving protection is clearly shared among many.

Coming from a culture where you don’t often hear people speak seriously about talismans and objects bringing protection, it has been interesting to listen to the students speak about their small faiths in these objects. We know there is a growing Christian community in the Czech Republic, but we also know that there are many, the majority, who are not Christian. Listening to my students, I just kept thinking these talismans, these objects, were perhaps how they were filling their Faith-void. 

I am not writing this to make a statement about the evil-ness of talismans and superstitions. And certainly not about Czech faith. I have been here just three weeks and would never presume to have anything more than an incredibly shallow, surface-level knowledge. But I am writing this to share an observation and a prayer. That these young people can learn that aside from short-term comfort and shallow confidences, talismans are not needed, that there is a Protector who brings never-ending comfort and strong confidence. I don’t know if Jadon or I will be called on to specifically share the Name and Love of Christ with any of these students, but I pray that we can lay a foundation and that we start them asking questions. When objects fail to live up to the faith we put into them, where can we turn?