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?
Well said, enjoyed reading this! Hope things continue to go well for you two!
ReplyDelete- Scott Piggush