I remember attending my first Halloween party as a kid (not long after our family moved to the USA back in the 1970s), with its eerily lit pumpkins, freaky dress-up costumes and the scary dark room we were all dared to navigate ourselves through, kind of like a pseudo-haunted house. It was a lot of fun. And it was hosted by our local church!
My, how times have changed. Christians today either continue to celebrate it as an innocent annual party or boycott it as evil and even demonic. Why the debate?
Halloween (literally "hallowed or holy evening") originated as a pagan festival that followers of Christ 'Christianised' (as an occasion to remember the saints, martyrs and all departed believers) that has become more pagan in our own times.
For two very different opinions about Halloween, read:
1. "Six Reasons Why We Should Celebrate Halloween" by Dr.Ciaran O-Keefe and
2. "Six Reasons Why I Believe Halloween is Far From Harmless" by Canon J John.
No doubt we need to talk about it as followers of Christ. I encourage you to read the article links above (and below) and discuss Halloween with your family and friends.
What will you do tonight? Kids will be dropping by your home with their "Trick or Treat" greetings. You could pull the shutters down and shoo them away with a bit of a relational Wall OR maybe you could become the best lolly house in your street and offer local community people a warm Welcome? Think of the bigger picture - Halloween will come and go but our neighbours will still be there tomorrow. Remember, our call is not only to stand for truth but to show grace and love to people. That's good news.
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