Should I Celebrate Halloween or Not?

I have to admit I’ve been all over the board on this one in the last 40 years. As a youth pastor in the 1970’s our youth groups had haunted houses and some pretty gory ones at that. In the 1980’s I listened to Mike Warnke talk about how it’s all of Satan and so we stopped participating on any level. I’ve wavered a bit from time to time but for the most part I’ve chosen to stay away from the entire thing.

This year we’re going to do something we haven’t done in a long time…we’re going to pass out candy on October 31^st. I know…some of you are shaking your head and moaning about another Christian whose gone done the satanic path of destruction and wondering if I’m also voting Democratic and cross-dressing. No, I’m not voting Democratic! (Smile)

I’m not really sure what changed this year…I still hate a lot of what happens on October 31^st. I don’t like tombstones in people’s yard with family member’s names on them. You may think that’s funny but when you’ve buried as many people as I have and seen the grief and devastation that death brings in a family, I can’t see joking about it…but that’s just me. I don’t like scaring people…never have…especially when it’s me that gets scared. Blood and gore? I get way too much of that on prime-time TV. Mummies, vampires and zombies bore me…so when it comes to the living dead I’m not easily impressed.

My main problem with the whole notion of Halloween is that this is not the wholesome, encouraging and uplifting kind of thing that Scripture says we ought to be keeping our mind focused on. So if we don’t become preoccupied with the macabre, is there a way to redeem October 31^st for good? As a matter of fact that might be a good place to start. I think in the past I was willing to just give up the day, count it as a loss for God’s Kingdom, a win for satan and move on to November 1^st. This season I started thinking, why give up the day. Every day is the day the Lord has made…right? If it is His, then I should do everything I can to redeem it.

I decided this year I didn’t want to be the guy whose lights are out and who’s hiding in the dark because he doesn’t want to be contaminated by the trick-or-treaters and their scary costumes. How can I be the light if I’m hiding in the dark? This year I decided I want to be the guy who’s handing out GOOD candy… chocolate candy…brand-name candy. The guy everybody wants to go to his house. I want to be the guy who’s sitting out waiting for the parents to bring their kids by and meeting the people in my neighborhood because I never know when God will give me an opportunity to be Jesus to them. This year I’m going to stop hiding and start shining. After all, if Halloween is a day of darkness, it’s not going to get better if all of us Christians run and hide. The darkness is the best place for light to show itself…right?

I’m not trying to talk anybody out of or into anything. You have to do what you’re comfortable with. For a long time I just couldn’t get comfortable with the whole idea. To be truthful, I’m still a little apprehensive…a little nervous. But I’m trying to step out, let my little light shine. I’m not going to dress up this year, except as myself. Maybe next year I’ll be a candlestick or maybe a salt shaker. Yep, I think that’s it…next year I’ll be salt and let Jane be pepper. Keep smiling!

Pastor Rick