Caroline Jones - Grief and Spiritual Searching
This Sunday we aired a wonderful conversation, recorded recently, with well-known ABC TV personality Caroline Jones. Caroline talked about her career, her finding faith and joining the Catholic Church, and the deep grief and doubt she experienced at the loss of her father. Part of Caroline's journey through grief involved her visiting a spirit medium--something she says she probably wouldn't do again, but something she doesn't particularly regret.
Now, given the Bible's clear warning against such things (we've put some verses below if you'd like to follow it up), we had a dilemma - do we edit it out, or do we air it and open the topic up for discussion? In the end we have decided to leave Caroline's comments in and let them stimulate discussion on the topic. Caroline shares many other things worthy of talkback in the interview too, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Some (tough!) verses for further reflection:
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:31)
I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people. (Leviticus 20:6)
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in [a] the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:10, 11)
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? (Isaiah 8:19)
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
The following passages may also be worth reviewing: Acts 16:16-18, Galatians 5:19-20.
• What do you think of this notion of consulting spirit mediums for advice or guidance? Have you ever done so and regretted it? Do you do so now and have no qualms about it? Tell us what you think.
• Your thoughts on grief and suffering - if you've lost a loved one, were you, like Caroline, surprised at the depth of your grief?
• Did your faith in God waver? Or did it go deeper?
• What were the positives that came out of your grieving?
• Did the loss of a loved one, or a great crisis in life, put you onto a spiritual search? What forms did that take?
