Joyce Godwin

At this time of year thoughts often turn to ghostly talk and children of all ages dress up as goblins and ghouls. Make-shift and temporary haunted houses appear for the purposes of scaring visitors who dare to enter — all in the fun of Halloween.

I visited a Web site out of curiosity, after doing a Google search on U.S. Hauntings. I found a state-by-state, country-by-country listing of haunted places. We’ve all heard the local lore of ladies on the lake, ladies in the mist, ladies in white, haunted inns and much, much more. The big question being, do we believe it.

The closest listing to Grayson County I could find was McKinney, Texas where a lady in white is said to look out the window of the old courthouse building at night. It is supposed to be the spirit of a woman who hanged herself in 1896.

One of the more interesting cases close by is in Dallas at Flag Pole Hill on Northwest Highway. There is said to be a narrow road on which there is no place to turn around. Once you start on it, you must continue. Mysterious rocks are said to fly at vehicles from weird angles “sudden, unforeseen vehicular body damage” can occur. The Web site states the local police department will verify this as far back as 1976.

You must admit, that is just plain intriguing for curious minds looking for answers. Don’t you just want to go there to see if it’s true and find out about what brought those spirits of unrest to be causing such havoc?

Let me try to save you a trip. I’m not saying suspicious things don’t happen there. With so many reports, it’s hard to deny. But what I am saying is there are no ghosts. That is, people who die do not come back in their spirit to be able to haunt anything.

A look at the Bible tells me that just can’t happen. Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 says “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” So the dead won’t return to this universe for anything.

For me, that settles the question of whether or not ghosts really exist. Once someone dies, he or she has no part in anything under the sun. So, they won’t be throwing rocks at cars on deserted roads nor looking out windows during the night.

So what is it that’s going on in these “paranormal” events? Some of these events can probably be explained away through science, given enough time and the proper scientist. But other occurrences may indeed be the work of something not from this earth.

If my Bible-believing mind and heart can’t accept the explanation of ghosts and science can’t explain it, then the only thing left comes from those fallen angels we read about in God’s holy word. And it also says, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,” Ephesians 5:11.

I think we should not take lightly these instructions. We really can’t pick and choose what we want to accept from the Bible. If it’s wrong, there is no hope for man’s salvation. We’re stuck with what we have.

But, if it’s right, it’s right all the way through. And, the explanation that “you can twist the meanings of the Bible around to say whatever you want,” is old and tiresome to me. Anybody can read it for themselves and understand if they have the Holy Spirit to guide them and want to make the effort. The Holy Spirit comes after you’ve surrendered your life to Jesus Christ.
What you gain from reading the word of God far exceeds the little bit of effort it takes to understand it.

Joyce Godwin is a Herald Democrat staff writer/editor and may be reached by e-mail at jgodwin@heralddemocrat.com. She lives in Van Alstyne and attends the First Baptist Church there.