January 21, 2011 (Friday)
For all you wordsmiths out there, here’s one you may already know. It was new to me when I first read it today. Here ’tis: “triskaidekaphobia.” Know what it means? It means, “fear or a phobia concerning the number 13.”
It’s a superstition. Are you superstitious?
Many of us are more superstitious than perhaps we know. For instance, I knew a lady whose husband was an airline pilot. The conversation turned to plane crashes one day and it was mentioned that another plane had crashed that morning. It was the second one in a couple of days. She had been saying that airline travel is completely safe, in fact safer than any other mode of travel. When she heard of the crash that morning, however, her face and voice reflected shock and alarm as she said, “Oh my God! My husband is flying to Hawaii today. And the crashes always come in ‘three’s’.” Superstition.
Our black cat was found dead on the side of the street in front of our house, and I told a person who was working on our house at the time. I said, “You know, it looks like the car intentionally ran over the cat.” “Oh, he said, it’s unlucky not to run over a cat, especially a black one.” Superstition.
Every once in a while I hear some of my fellow Christians discussing experiences that sound more like superstition than matters of faith. Perhaps it would be good for us if we examine our beliefs carefully and separate the wheat from the chaff. Be sure your beliefs meet the test of being Biblical. We get our doctrines from the Bible, not popular beliefs.
Had you ever heard of “triskaidekaphobia” before today? How did people develop a morbid fear of the number 13? Look it up. It’s fun to learn stuff. It’s ridiculous to believe some stuff. Superstition is not a part of our faith.
(Read about “triskaidekaphobia” by clicking here)