They called the little island “a tropical paradise” with sunshine, palm trees waving in the breezes, white sand and sparkling blue water. “Oh, it’s so beautiful, it’s perfect!” said visiting Mrs. James.
“Let’s wait and see,” said her husband.
There were soft breezes, beautiful flowers and sounds of guitar playing. “Oh, how happy everyone is here!” exclaimed Mrs. James.
“Are they really?” asked Mr. James. “Let’s find out.”
The chance to find out soon came. Rogilio, a boy about ten years old, knocked gently at their door looking for some business: shoes to shine, errands to run, anything that might bring him a few coins. They found some small jobs for him, and he began to tell them about his island. “Now this,” he would say, “is a jacaranda, and that bush that smells so sweet is jasmine. But that tree there is a mastic tree... it’s bad, very bad! Many bad spirits live there, and at night there are blue lights going up and down in it. Nobody, nobody goes by it at night! Sometimes I’m so scared!”
Here was Mr. James’s answer. It might be a tropical paradise, but the natives lived in fear of evil spirits and black magic. Even a small boy said, “I’m so scared.”
But there was an answer for Rogilio’s troubles. Sitting down with him, Mr. James opened his Bible and told him how God loved him. He showed Rogilio in the Bible how God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, had come down from heaven to die to take away all his sins. He told him that if he believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, then he would go to live with Him in heaven someday. He finished by giving Rogilio a little Testament of his own to read.
Would he understand? Could years of superstitious fear be erased so quickly? The answer came the next day. Down the street came Rogilio, straight past the mastic tree, eyes shining and grin flashing.
“Oh, Mr. James,” he called, “I read in the Book last night. I read all about the blood that washes away my sins. Oh, I’m so happy -I feel so good here!” and he placed his hand on his heart. He had no fear of evil spirits now.
ML-08/23/1992