The River Goddess

This past week I received an e-mail from my girlfriend who is currently in West Africa doing a semester abroad. One day, while she and her friend were walking to the market and passed by the nearby river. As they passed by, a few local women asked if they were afraid. Without thinking, my girlfriend answered that she was not afraid. The ladies replied by stating that they were and that she should be as well. Later, my girlfriend remembered that the local people believe that there is a river goddess that takes lives by drowning people. They also believe that, in certain parts of the river, a person can be pulled under the river, stay there for a week, and then come back out of the river possessed by evil spirits. Therefore, people live in fear and avoid getting too close to the river, lest they get pulled under by the goddess.

When reading this, my, and most Americans', reaction is quick: There's no need to fear a river goddess. For me, my immediate response was pity for the people's foolishness in fearing such a thing. Indeed, for the Christian, the reaction to not fear should be our response. The Bible constantly tells us to live in courage. However, after reading the e-mail from my girlfriend, I realized that my reaction was not entirely the right one. I, and probably most of you, based the reason for not fearing upon the assumption that there is no such thing as a "river goddess." Such things are just the myths of uncivilized people, right? Perhaps not so.

Such a position expresses a high level of arrogance. As I talked about in my previous posts, the Christian should realize that things like spirits and angels do exist. For all we know, there could be a river "goddess" or demon or spirit. Such an entity may not exist exactly as the natives perceive it. It may not even reside "in the river." However, who's to say that the whole area is empty and void of any unseen force. The book of Revelation reveals a world in which unseen forces of both good and evil exist. There are angels of wind, fire, and water, and likewise, malevolent forces run throughout the world.

Yet, the call to "not fear" still exists. If we cannot state with complete certainty that no such "goddess" exists, then where does that courage come from? The Bible is clear on this. For those in Christ, there is no fear of powers. Christ has triumphed over all powers, and those who "put on Christ" can stand in His strength. In the end, instead of pitying people's foolishness at believing "fairy tales," when we hear stories such as my girlfriend's, we should be grieved that they live in fear without knowing the power of Christ and his Spirit. May we have a heart of prayer for others and never neglect how much Christ has done (and continues to do) for us.