Religion in Daily Life  © By the Rev. Edward Chinn, D.Min.

Chastity Bono found ghosts at her door. Chastity is the daughter of Cher and the late Sonny Bono. Sonny was killed in a ski accident in 1998. Chastity went to see the famed medium James Van Praagh on the set of his Los Angeles television show. “She thought a visit to the Other Side could help her deal with losing Joan” (The National Enquirer Online, October 10, 2002). Joan Stephens (Chastity’s lover) died of cancer almost eight years ago. Both Joan and her father Sonny represented the negative ghosts of lost opportunities to Chastity. When she visited the medium, he assured her that the spirits of Joan and Sonny were present.

Three thousand years ago a man named Saul went to a medium because he hoped to recapture the ghost of a lost opportunity. Saul was the King of Israel. Disguised, he went to the Witch of Endor. “‘Whom shall I call up for you?’ the woman asked. ‘Samuel,’ he answered. “I see a ghost rising from the earth,” she said” (1 Samuel 28:11-13). Samuel had been an advisor to King Saul, but Saul had ignored his advice. Now, on the eve of a battle with the Philistine army, Saul was terrified and wanted to recapture the ghost of Samuel — his presence and wisdom.

There are also the positive ghosts of inspiring presences. I am using the word “ghost” in a symbolic way. The word “ghost” came from the word “gust,” meaning wind or breath. Ancient people took the invisible, but powerful presence of the wind or breath to stand for the invisible presence of persons who breathe new life into us (“inspire us”). An early Christian writer saw us surrounded by the invisible presence of those who were witnesses to Christ: “We have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands” (Hebrews 12:2, Living Bible).

On a certain football team, one player never seemed to play up to his potential. One day, during practice, the coach received a telegram addressed to this mediocre player. The coach called the player aside and read him the message from his mother: “Dear Son, your father is dead. Please come home immediately.” The young man left for home, but reappeared in time for the football game on Friday. This average player pleaded with the coach for a chance to play. The coach put him into the game and he ran, blocked, and tackled like a star. The coach asked him what made him play so hard. The player said, “My dad was blind. Today was the first day he ever saw me play.”