Tonight
is All Hallows’ Eve, a day that has its roots in European harvest festivals and
festivals of the dead, particularly the Celtic Samhin. It proceeds November 1st, the day
that Catholics have traditionally celebrated All Saints Day. Lutherans, and some Reformed church
communities celebrate Reformation Day on October 31st. Martin Luther wrote the Archbishop of Mainz
protesting the sale of indulgences on this day.
As good Americans, who like to be eclectic, we have adopted a smattering
of it all.
Those who
like to be edgy and horrific dress up as scary goblins and witches; the more
refined dress their children in fairy costumes and fire fighters; and
Christians, the more conservative kind, dress up as bible characters, and for
what purpose? For the majority of the people in the United States it is just to
have fun. It is an excuse to go begging
from your friends and neighbors, for candy you would never dream of buying your
children all year long.
Parents are
a little more cautious these days, taking their children to neighborhoods they
believe to be safe. Some parents only
take their children to people they actually know. Gone are the days you could send your
children down the street by themselves.
Even in my day hospitals were offering free x-rays to deter unsavory
criminals who would lace apples with razor blades.
It’s all
good fun, right? When my wife and I had
our first son, I dressed as a lion tamer with my lioness and lion cub in tow,
RRRRR. As the years passed we became
wearier of the emphasis on evil and decided to forego the festivities of
“darkness” J
for tamer fun at Chucky Cheese. The kids
still had fun and we didn’t have to wrestle with our conscience. Our children haven’t been diminished, to say
the least.
Should Christians
participate in Halloween? It is a matter
of conscience. This year we have told
some friends we will be handing out candy to the neighborhood ghouls, so they
should stop by. We even have carved pumpkins
on the front porch. I’m still leery of
the whole Halloween fun with evil, horror, fear, and demonic thing. I also wrestle with the guilt by association
argument.
So, this
year, instead of sitting in the darkness, worrying if anyone will knock at my
door, we have decided to lighten up and hand out candy. I know that the demonic exists, whether I
hand out candy or not. I know that I
have been delivered from the realm of darkness and have been brought into the
kingdom of light, whether I hand out candy or not. I know that if I quietly pray for each child
that comes to the door, Satan trembles, for Christ is victorious.
Tonight I
am not celebrating Halloween, All Hallows’ Eve, Reformation Day, All Saints
Day, Fall Festivals, or Festivals for the dead.
I’m just going to hand out some candy.
I’m just saying…
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