Four-leaf clovers, black cats, lucky numbers, tarot cards, crystal balls – it seems there is no end to the speculations that humans will embrace in an effort to understand the mysteries of human existence.

If we apply hard-core logic to most of these ideas, most of them will come up short in evidence of their legitimacy.

What possible effect can the position of the stars at the moment of birth have on personality? How can a seldom-found piece of vegetation impact events of the day? What difference does it make if your cat encounter is white instead of black?

The one thing all these mysteries have in common is the human need to understand aspects of our existence that exist beyond the reach of our five senses, beyond our comprehension.

Enter – superstition.

We can imagine that, without the benefit of today’s knowledge, our ancestors made some pretty wild guesses as to the forces that impacted their lives. Those guesses resulted in rituals and ceremonies that were intended to influence the powers that dictated the course of events.

In all probability, some of those rituals became incorporated into religious ceremonies that continue to this day.

We might ask – “what’s the harm, if those rituals continue?”

The answer is twofold.

There is benefit, rather than harm, if those rituals serve to enhance the spiritual experience and strengthen our connection to God.

The harm comes if we substitute rituals and superstitious acts in place of embracing a spiritual link. The harm comes from a failure to recognize that our reliance on superstition and habitual rituals is a direct result of our inability to grasp the reality that, in our human form, we are incapable of recognizing forces and energies outside our human experience.

When engaging in church rituals, we need to do so with the mindset that we are strengthening our link to God – not just participating in a tradition.