Let's talk appeal. As a Christian who can count the number of fellow Christians in her circle of acquaintances and friends on just one hand, but who couldn't even hazard a guess as to the number of pagans (neo-, wiccan, or other) that comprise that same circle of acquaintances and friends, I will hazard to say I have a vague understanding of what makes the pagan faiths so appealing to some Christians. I've heard many Christians voice their support of a great portion of the tenants that are woven through the majority of pagan faiths (and really, there isn't a true cohesive "faith" to be had; for many, that's equally appealing)...but those same Christians know that, practitioners of christopaganism aside, for them, it is impossible to marry a faith that calls you to make disciples of all men with a faith that inherently shuns proselytizing. But I don't think it's the lack of a call for evangelism that many find appealing about pagan faiths; I think it is the mystery, the mysticism, the ritual, the balance of a feminine-divine. For some, it is even the practicing of magic, in whatever form, that is most appealing. What it doesn't tend to be, is the lack of ultimate justice (for many pagans, there is no great judgment, no heaven, no hell) or the glorification of the human divine (as Christians, we are exceedingly aware of the wounded nature of mortal man).
So, let's BRIEFLY talk about mysticism, ritual, and the feminine-divine.
The idea that Jesus is someone you can neatly describe in one page or less and who will fit perfectly in your pocket as you go about the mundane affairs of your every day is an approach that began with the very best intent but has lead to one of the greater shames of our faith. Should you build a relationship, a friendship, a romance with your God? YES! By all means, pray to God about all things, from the leaf that fell gracefully across your path as you walked the dog this morning, to the presentation that you have to give at work on Friday, to your friend's sister's mother-in-law who is terminally ill. Draw Him close and know that He cares about every detail of your life, passionately. But having the omniscient Creator of the universe on stand-by all the time doesn't mean He, or any of the gospel about Him, should be taken for granted as something akin to a first-grade textbook. You didn't, by any means, read and assimilate the entirety of God's message or your faith by the time you made it out of youth group or your college bible study. The mysticism was there, IS there, page after page and day after day...but you have to see it. Truly, if you seek mysticism, begin to try and unravel the nature of God. It seems painfully obvious, and simple; He is Love. But then ask yourself Why about any number of things and you begin to make His nature more complex in an effort to arrive at an explanation. You could read for a lifetime and not find all the answers and all the different facets we as His children have tried to explore and explain. Try reading the Nag Hamadi...or re-reading your Bible with a fresh perspective.
Ritual is a double-edged sword. On one had, it can serve to focus you and sharpen your attention to your faith. On the other, when the ritual becomes empty motions and faded traditions without any real, living meaning and intent behind them; or worse, a means of inspiring fear and uncertainty to make the followers of them afraid and easy to control - then ritual, as a barrier that numbs you to the anguish and ecstasy of true grace, or as the whip wielded by an echelon of some men above others, becomes the very thing that Christ railed against so vehemently. Meditation, candle lighting, the creation and use of an alter, mantras, all these things, are ritual elements that can be used to enrich your pursuit of the Lord. But you must be mindful of how you use them, of the intent behind your use of them. Take, for instance, the rituals that accompany many pagan practices involving magic. In my experience, there are two things that many practitioners of magic seek: power to harness, and control over seemingly uncontrollable aspects of the mortal life. For me, Christians have a source of power and influence over their lives that can be equivalent to magic. If, in order to tap into the "magic" or your Christian faith, you need a simple ritual to invite God into your heart and life, then I say go ahead. But be mindful. The least appealing thing about practicing pagan magic for me has been the idea of inviting an influence to affect my life that I neither know, nor can trust; having nothing occur as a result may be the best outcome you could hope for.
The feminine-divine. I cannot speak for any of you, but for me, I firmly believe that Christ had a balancing female counterpoint. But even if you do not subscribe to the idea of Christ having a help-meet in life, you must surely confirm that the Lord our God has no shape, no gender, no color, no age. He is nothing and He is everything. So why then, should your faith conform to the mortal artifice that there is no Mother in the Father? I personally prefer to approach my God as my Father. But He is not singly Male. He is just as surely She if that is what you need to find a connection. And if you begin to seek out the feminine aspects of our Christian history, I think you may well find plenty of that mysticism we were talking about as well.
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