Halloween - Good or Bad?

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:7-9 ESV). There is a great diversity among the Christian community about whether Halloween is good or bad. Some seem to take no notice that it is partially rooted in paganism and may be an extension of Satanism. Others scoff at the warnings as merely the ravings of mad fundamentalist crusaders out to spoil every child’s good time. They would say Halloween is no more than an opportunity to play dress-up. One Internet site writes: “Halloween is a chance to trot out all of our silly superstitions, our fear of the dark and laugh at them.” Well, which view is right? Halloween actually began with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in the British Isles. November 1 was a day of honoring the dead and celebrating the New Year. Christians combined the ancient practices and came up with All Saints Day, a Sacred Christian holiday meant to honor the Saints of the church who died, especially those who have been martyred for their faith. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Even or “holy evening,” later shortened to Halloween. In others words, Halloween is a unique blend of pagan and Christian rituals all designed to help us remember those who have died. So, both views are right. We can participate in Halloween activities with caution but we should also honor those who have passed away. This couldn’t be more applicable than in these uncertain days when we face the threat of crashing passenger jets and biological terror. The worst perception of terrorism is the fear that evil lurks everywhere. Halloween is our way of saying to evil, “I am not afraid of you. I will not give in to you.” Liz Curtis Higgs has originated a wonderful parable that has been making the rounds of email in the last few weeks. It seems to place into perspective a balance between the good and bad of Halloween. As you prepare for this holiday, think on this “lovely thought”: A lady had been baptized. One of her co-workers asked her what it was like to be a Christian. She was caught off guard and didn’t know how to answer but she saw a jack-o’-lantern on her desk and answered: “It’s like being a pumpkin.” “What do you mean by that?” the other worker asked. “Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins, Then he cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff out from inside. He removes all the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all to see. It is our choice to either stay outside and rot on the vine or come inside and be something new and bright.” Halloween is a reminder for me that evil forces may occasionally have their day… or night but as sure as the sun comes out each morning, the next day will belong to God and the Saints of the church who will all rise from their graves on their way toward the promise of heaven. Have a safe holiday. Celebrate Jesus!