My First Exorcism. Harold Ristau

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My First Exorcism - Harold Ristau

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The Church operates within the presumption that there are two planes to reality.3 Yet only those who turn their heads can clearly see with this double vision. St. Augustine would call that “conversion.” Most non-Christians are myopic. They tend to view only a landscape and fail to perceive another simultaneous reality directly beneath them. Just like I had lost my footing in my hypnotic fixation, conducting one’s life in neglect of this double-vision is sure to result in a tumultuous and unpredictable voyage. In Holy Baptism Christians receive a new lens that governs their lives, not only informing their moral compasses, but acting also as an internal GPS that allows them to better understand wider societal trends and chisel away at conventional wisdom.

      One final example (I promise): on the one hand, spiritually-sensitive people today have heedlessly turned environmental sustainability into a pagan religion, paying homage to the pantheistic goddess “Mother Nature.” The well-meaning ecological principles of this animistic worldview operate within a one-planed bubble of earthly phenomena. All future possibilities are contingent upon the survival of a measureable creation. On the other hand, the redneck types with bumper stickers stating “He with the most toys wins” deride recycling and salute acid rain. These two seemingly radically different worldviews are both hinged in the same demonic error. How both the immanence and transcendence of a personal God fit into a system in which a rudimentary distinction between the creation and the Creator has been tossed aside remains a challenge for the unenlightened unbeliever. With their “double-vision” Christians should be less prone to confusing realms and categories in interpreting the meaning of both the Holy Scriptures and the events of everyday life. It is to be expected that they be more open-minded to testimonies regarding the supernatural as well.

      This leads me to the other reason that I am hesitant to talk about my experiences. I want to avoid sensationalizing them. The Holy Scriptures are relatively silent on the topic of demons. We know a great deal more about the good angels than we do about the bad ones. And so should it be, lest our curiosity be roused to unbiblical exertions and sacrilege. To God alone be the glory. However, we are given a few clues about the fallen angels and clear instructions as to how to rid ourselves of them. The writings of the Church Fathers and ancient liturgies can help us. I am not so pretentious as to equate my contribution with theirs. To the contrary, I pray that I would stay clear of speaking beyond those things permitted by the Holy Scriptures, distracting a listener from the voice of our dear Lord and mighty Master Jesus Christ. I only hope that I have composed some meaningful thoughts woven together in synchronized conformity with solemn logic, Christian tradition and the Word of God—and that all of them are lacking in originality.

      Over the years I have come to realize that I have had an unusually high number of encounters with demons. I have witnessed bizarre and disturbing things that I hope never to see again. I share some of them here. Many of my brothers in the ministry have never experienced anything similar. I remember asking a seminary professor why candidates for the holy ministry received so little training on exorcism. It was indicated to me that such encounters for clergy were rare in the developed world. There is some truth in this. Whereas the portfolios of overseas missionaries are saturated with stories of exorcisms, the devil finds it less advantageous to be overly obvious in a secular, modern, and largely agnostic or atheistic culture. Demonic presence only confirms the existence of the spiritual realm. In the under-developed countries the existence of God is presupposed. In poverty-stricken regions the question becomes, “Which are stronger, the evil forces or the good ones?” Religious people guess as to the allegiance that offers more temporal advantages. Fellow workers in the ministry are quite accustomed to demon possession in places such as Haiti or Western Africa. But even in North America, one should be well-equipped.

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