Debunking superstitions

By faith writer Patti Richter

ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX (October 9, 2014) Some magicians observe a strange tradition on Halloween; they hold a séance for Harry Houdini. But the late great magician won’t hear of it, and he would have told them so.

Houdini found fame in the days of Vaudeville—the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. But while many magicians of his era claimed to have supernatural abilities, he did not. He even worked to expose them as frauds since he believed they gave his profession a bad reputation. He also challenged the thriving business of psychics and mediums who pretended to commune with the dead; he served as a sort-of “ghost-buster” by learning how to duplicate their noises and apparitions. Then he entertained crowds that came to watch him debunk the charlatans.

Houdini also performed daredevil acts, such as the Chinese Water Torture Cell, a glass-front cabinet filled with water. The audience watched as he entered the chamber upside-down and struggled to break free, which took more than three minutes.

Another one of his death-defying feats nearly took his life. His assistants pulled his unconscious body from a six-foot-deep grave after he pushed only one of his hands through the earth above him.

Though Houdini survived that Buried Alive stunt, he couldn’t escape the grave. He grew sick and feverish during a road-show tour in 1926, but put off seeking medical attention. On October 31^st—Halloween—he died of a ruptured appendix. He was only 52.

The world-famous magician wrote books that uncovered the mysteries of magic; he included illustrations that showed how he performed his tricks, like hiding a key or using a shoelace to open locked handcuffs. He explained his techniques for seemingly impossible escapes, including his famous straitjacket stunt, where he expanded his chest and shoulders before being strapped into the jacket. This provided him with enough wiggle-room to escape.

In the final decade of his life, Houdini served as President of the Society of American Magicians. He worked to gain respect for the industry by promoting the higher standards that served to dispel superstitions fed by unscrupulous performers.

Purposeful magic

The numbers of modern-day magicians might include some daredevils in the style of Houdini. But they also include believers in Christ who use their platform of unique entertainment to share the gospel or illustrate a Bible truth in a memorable way.

Lyndy Phillips is an ordained Southern Baptist minister in north Texas, but his full-time vocation puts him in front of church groups of all denominations and before secular groups too. He shares a blend of humorous storytelling and sleight-of-hand illusions in corporate, church, prison and other settings. He’s just one of many Christian performers who combine spiritual truth with creative talent to encourage and inspire audiences.

“People are more open for someone to speak into their life through entertainment—it’s non-threatening,” he says.

For Phillips, “It’s magic with a message.”

Poster images courtesy of MagicTricks.com. Photo of Lyndy Phillips courtesy of LaughwithLyndy.com.

Blue Ribbon News guest columnist Patti Richter of Heath is a faith writer whose  articles, essays and book reviews are featured in several Christian publications. Read her Good Faith columns at BlueRibbonNews.com.

[This article first appeared in the October 2014 issue of The Beacon, in San Antonio, TX]

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