A conversation with a féticheur (French)

One day just before Christmas I was in a shop buying some ink cartridges for the printer
and a man came in and was talking to the dealer behind the counter. I laughed at a couple of
the things he said and shortly he turned to me and asked if I was a missionary. I said yes and
then he asked which church. I told him and he said he knew it. Then I asked what church he
goes to? His reply was, “I am a féticheur.” A féticheur is someone who makes fetishes and
amulets for protection. This usually entails some magic and divination. These practitioners hold
much influence and power in African communities.
The conversation then took on a new flavor. This shaman asked if I was an American and
when I said, “Yes” he wanted to know why I came here to Côte d’Ivoire and interfering with
their traditions. Weren’t there any pagans in the United States? I said yes there are many but
God called me here and I must do what he has told me to do. I also said that my God was
greater and more powerful than his fetishes.
He then asked me in a rather heated way of what value is Christianity to you anyway? It
doesn’t profit you anything. I replied it is of great value. “What?” he asked. I replied, “I have
hope of eternal life in paradise with Christ. Do you have any hope after death?” He had no
response and I reiterated that my God had greater power than his fetishes and he needed to
come to the church and hear the truth. He had no response to this either.
We as Christians have an eternal hope and peace that enables us to not fear such empty
faith as this shaman does in his home made packets of some substance designed to give the
wearer some false hope. Greater is Christ in me than any other power in this world (John 4:4).
Many, even a number of those who call themselves Christians, do not have this hope and when
we miss this hope the peace that is greater than anything this world has to offer is missing. Put
your faith in Jesus Christ he is the only one who can give you such faith, hope and peace.
We are told in Scripture to be ready to give a reason for our faith at any time (2 Tim 4:2-
5). This same passage warns us that in the latter days people would not listen to sound
doctrine. We see this happening more and more in and out of the church. Many churches are
accepting practices that are totally unbiblical just to appease the society around the church.
These and all those who continue to do what they want in the name of civil rights or personal
choice will be punished by the Lord when he returns. We as Christians need to return to the
truth of God’s Word even when it convicts us and is hard to accept. This is the only way to
remain in the straight and narrow path that leads towards our acceptance as followers of the
Lord Jesus Christ (Mt. 7:13). All other paths lead to destruction.