In his book Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium, psychic Mark Edward offers some fascinating thoughts on the hunger in our culture for community and spiritual truth. Edward admits that for decades he peddled what he called "junkyard superstition … to the gullible, the lonely, the hopeful, and the dim." Among his many roles, he's been a dial-a-psychic with the Psychic Friends Network, a party psychic, a mentalist, a rent-a-psychic, a palmist, a fortune teller, and a graphologist. Edward admits that he has no paranormal powers, and neither does anyone else. Edwards just relied on his intuition, common sense, and genuine empathy.

But Edwards still claims that he helped out a lot of lonely people (or what he calls "lost souls"). He always kept a thorough list of 800 help-line referral phone numbers, which included help for everything from addictions to domestic violence. He's even saved a few lives. On one occasion, he helped a female caller put down a loaded gun (aimed at herself), deal with her alcoholism, and even start school so she could eventually become a nurse.

So although Edward admits that he's basically a kind-hearted fraud, he still believes that he's meeting a legitimate need. In his words, "[I have offered] the meaning that many folk feel that they need, but cannot find elsewhere."

Possible Preaching Angles:

(1) Psychics; False Teaching; New Age Religion; (2) Spirituality, Spiritual hunger—This illustration also shows the spiritual hunger of people in our culture—a hunger and a cry for help that isn't always being addressed by the church.