Truth About Charlie

 

Photo Cred: Washington Post

The internet has recently been flooded with videos of young people playing a game called "Charlie Charlie". Basically, kids draw the words "yes" and "no" on a piece of paper, lay two pencils down on the paper, and begin asking questions of a being named "Charlie". The claim is that Charlie will respond by pushing the pencils into either the yes or no zones of the paper.

In the time since the videos featuring spooky movements began appearing online I have read numerous explanations. Everything has been hypothesized as a cause for the success of these experiments from the true presence of a demonic force (now claimed to be a "Mexican demon", whatever that is) to merely the effects of gravity. Countless responses have been posted ranging from near-panic over the state of the souls of our kids to mockery that anyone would worry about this.

My personal opinion regarding this game is the same as my opinion of the oft-maligned Ouija board, the evil isn't in the game-it's in our hearts. 

Do I really think a demon is taking time from his schedule to move pencils set up by middle schoolers? No. The truth is that the danger in this trend has nothing to do with the game they play. The threat it reveals is the curiosity of the young heart.

The Storm Outside

I spent a few of my teenage years in Oklahoma-you know, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains. Everyone knows that you should stay clear of doors and windows during powerful storms. Common sense dictates that the danger outside is nothing to play around with. But more often than not, the thrill of danger would overtake my young mind. I would find myself at the front door, twisting the handle of the last barrier between myself and the elements. Often these storms were so strong I need not even open the door by my own will. All that was needed was enough curiosity to turn the door knob for a gust to catch the door and blow it open. Once opened, I learned an important fact of design-it's much harder to close a door in the face of a storm than it is to open it. 

So it is with an unhealthy interest in the occult. 

You don't have to intentionally open a door for the devil. All he needs is for you to be curious enough to turn a handle-the strength of the storm will be enough to force it open. And once it is open, you will likely find yourself not strong enough to close it back. 

Maybe this is the reason we are admonished  in Philippians to "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (4:8 NIV) With every thought we devote to the trickery of Satan we are taking one more step towards that door.

Anything

Last summer I shared about my husband's experience with the occult in the entry "Andy's Story". In speaking with Andy about how he got so deep into the religion, he told me it started with "just being curious." Soon he was invoking spirits, as he said it, "by letting them know I was up for anything." That is my warning to young people who think they are just fulfilling curiosity-when you mess around with anything claiming to involve the spirit realm, you are letting those spirits know you are "up for anything". And I assure you, "anything" is a terrifying thing to agree to. 

So if you know a young person playing this game or others like it, I encourage you to have a sincere, loving talk with them. They probably have no idea the danger their curiosity could put them in. You don't have to cry and wail that they will become possessed, but don't ignore it either. Teach them instead to focus on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.