By Dave and Kathy Simpson

“You must understand,” Nedko insisted, “Bulgarian people are not very religious. But they are very superstitious!” We hardly needed this reminder when we had the following three conversations in the span of five days. We told an inquisitive taxi driver that we were working with the Bulgarian Evangelical Church of God. He excitedly responded, “My woman attends an evangelical congregation. But I am Orthodox. See, I have my icons hanging here. And I always wear this bracelet with thirty-three beads [representing the years Jesus was on earth]. These give me protection; they keep me safe.

Another taxi driver told us that he had spent seven years in the United States. He was utterly perplexed that Americans didn’t understand “saint name days.” In Bulgaria at least ninety-three different days are set aside to honor particular saints. For example, on March 11, Saint Theodore’s Day, individuals venerate Saint Theodore; and all persons with any variation of the name Theodore are honored. Bulgarians usually name their children after a saint and expect that the child will then be protected and blessed by the saint. These name days are celebrated more vigorously than birthdays. Our driver continued, “Americans just don’t understand how important these days are. They don’t venerate the saints at all. How can they expect to be protected from harm? How can they expect to receive good health and fortune?”

The third conversation was with a lady on the bus. She had heard us speaking English and wanted to practice talking with us. She had been a teacher of English but hadn’t used the language recently. Her English was good, but she struggled for a few words. She sighted in exasperation. “I was doing fine until you cast an eye on me! Now I can’t remember the words.” She was referring to the “evil eye” and she wasn’t joking. She believed that we had the power to make her forget just by looking at her.

A Bulgarian travel site explains: “Anyone can become a victim of the evil eye, but newborn babies, beautiful or fortunate people, livestock, and new possessions are more susceptible. The evil eye can be cast by anyone, and not necessarily intentionally or maliciously. All that’s needed are sufficient amounts of envy and admiration combined with prolonged stares. Some experts note that people with light eyes ( a comparative rareness in the region) are considered more likely to bestow the curse.” Perhaps Kathy’s blue eyes, direct gaze, and compliment about the lady’s English convinced the woman that Kathy had inflicted the “curse” on her.

Occasionally, we see hints of superstitious beliefs among the church folks, but generally, they recognize the difference between the widespread folk religion and true belief. One of our tasks now is to help the church folks engage their friends and neighbors in conversations about the source of our hope and strength. It is not in magic charms or saints. “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2 niv).

Learn more about the Simpsons, career missionaries to Bulgaria by clicking here. [http://www.churchofgodministries.com/Default.aspx?tabid=120]