Many of these witches now say that persecution, especially from Christians, is part of their everyday lives. One woman received death threats that included Scripture. Stories of hostility from Christians toward these witches broke my heart. If you want to reach out to a practicing witch or Wiccan, know that they most likely have been abused or berated in the name of Christianity. As with any opportunity to evangelize, we must earn the right to tell others of our experiences or opinions.
As I sat with the witches and we discussed Jesus, one woman sighed and said, “I’d like to think that if Jesus were here on earth, He’d walk right into our meeting. He’d want to know us.”
Knowing that Jesus lives within my heart, I smiled at her. “He is here,” I said. I saw myself in a new way that day: as a physical body with the spirit of Jesus living within. My job was to take His Spirit out into the world so that He could tend to the wounded and reach out to the hurting. I’m just His physical chauffeur. I wasn’t given this body so I could run my own errands. Those women belonged to Him, and He wanted to be there, sitting in that meeting, listening to their stories, looking into their eyes, and hearing their hearts. I know that He longs for them, for us all, to know Him and to know His truth expressed in love. This truth and this love are the source of all true hope and salvation.
As I close this book, you may like to know that much of the book is based on fact, including the baptizing of the cat. Bastion’s arguments and theology and some anecdotes are taken from the Malleus. Stefan’s story of ministering to Ava the witch is based on a true story too. During the witch hunts, a witch was kept in a cage and used like a circus animal to scare people. One wise and courageous priest developed a relationship with her and taught her the truth of who Jesus was and how she could find true peace and love only in Him. This priest led her to Christ, and the woman escaped her captivity.
Thankful for this freedom,
Ginger Garrett
Discussion Questions
1. Read these three statements:
? “All witchcraft comes from carnal lust, which is in women insatiable.”—the Malleus Maleficarum
? “This [theory of the insatiability of women, which I teach,] comes out of some social research which suggests that some women are insatiable or never satisfied. From that, I point out that Eve had paradise but wanted more. She lacked satisfaction with paradise!”—best-selling Christian author who teaches on marriage and gender roles
? “The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust.”—God, as recorded in James 1:13 (MSG)
The Malleus’s false theories are still being repeated today, often under the guise of “Christian marriage teaching.” What does the Bible say about the root of lust and temptation? Is it a particularly male or female problem? If lust is a male problem, what can explain the actions of Potiphar’s wife? (See Gen. 39.)
2. Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt. 7:15–16). Not everyone who uses God’s name speaks for God. What are some of the signs that a person is truly doing God’s work? Is success always a sign God is endorsing them?
3. Throughout the story, Mia is hungry. She presses her hand into her stomach to keep it from growling. In your opinion, what is this hunger symbolic of? Why was Mia always so hungry? Did she need anything more than food?
4. Deuteronomy 8:3 says, “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” In our culture of abundance and instant access, do we experience hunger of any kind? Is there a connection between humility and hunger? What interferes with the experience of hunger, especially spiritual hunger, in our lives and culture?
5. Bastion knew Scripture very well and twisted it just slightly to make a convincing case for evil. Did you find any of Bastion’s arguments persuasive? How can we recognize the actual truth of Scripture versus a false little twist someone puts on it?
6. Why was Bastion able to come in and swiftly turn the villagers to evil? Are you safe from the Bastions of our age? What are your defenses?
7. Father Stefan knew many prayers and rituals, most of them in Latin, a language few understood or spoke. Did he have true spiritual authority in his village? What is the true source of spiritual authority? Did he ever acquire it?
8. Mia made a decision to honor God by avoiding temptation. She recognized that Bjorn was not worthy of her faithfulness, but God was. Have you ever seen a broken marriage healed when one partner commits his or her life fully to God?
9. Mia is afraid of the darkness in the world and the darkness in her heart. But toward the end of the novel, she realizes she has never been alone in either one. Which is harder for you to feel and trust in: God’s presence in the darkness outside your door or God’s presence with you in the darkness you have in your heart?