There have been reflections on the Salem Witch Trials which began on February 29, 1692 published on these pages before. The impetus of the reflections was, and still is, justice.
The first to be tried were all what scripture would describe as “defenseless”. Tituba, the “servant” of the Rev. Samuel Parris was actually a slave and – well – a native Indian. Sarah Good was a homeless beggar and Sarah Osborne was an elderly destitute.
They had nothing going for them, actually and they were women too.
Why did the clergy finally decide to stop the trials and executions on October 3, 1692? Because by then some respectable citizens were being accused of witchcraft!
Obviously some readers may be wondering: What has all this to do with Cincinnati, or anyone else today? Well, it took Massachusetts 300 years to acknowledge that there was something wrong with the whole business.
Recognition and acknowledgment of wrong doing is the first step in repentance, a major emphasis of Lent. There can not be true repentance where responsibility for wrong doing is not acknowledged.
The second point to note here is that the church initiated the witch hunts and it was the church that ended them. On this day, in 1692, the Rev. Samuel Parris speculated: - in reference to Tituba and Sarah Good - “In this very church, God only knows how many devils there are”. It was the Rev. Increase Mather who would later appeal for the sake of one human life.
Lent is a season of repentance. Every church and every community has a lot to repent and seek forgiveness. The first step is that soul searching process to recognize and acknowledge wrongs. And every church and every community has its own dark spots to clean up.
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