Defining Moments

Halloween Perspective
Guest eSermonator:
Executive Pastor, Dan Miller

Even though my kids are grown and gone now, I have found myself in several conversations lately, with people about Halloween, and their plans for observing—or not observing—the holiday. So here are some thoughts of my own on the subject. They may not align with prevailing thought (which means my email inbox will be full of responses from many of you in the coming few days), but I will throw them out there for your consideration nonetheless.

When I was a kid growing up in a small town in Western New York, Halloween was the most unique of days. Besides being able to hang out way past dark with our friends, we were afforded the challenge of canvassing for as much behavior altering sugar as our little bodies could carry. Gathering in packs of 6 or 8, we’d start early, fill up a pillowcase, take it home and dump it out on our bed, and head out for more. The air was cool and crisp, and we’d shuffle through the fallen leaves up one block and down another. Always finishing our scavenging at “old-lady Wilson’s house” because she would invite us in and serve us all the apple cider and homemade doughnuts we could eat and drink.

Now I’m not so naïve to suggest that such a benign Norman Rockwell-like scenario still exists. In spite of the fact that we live in one of America’s safest cities, we know that times have changed. But Halloween can still be a fun night of make believe for our kids, and a marvelous time to connect and build bridges to your neighbors and community around you.

Many Christians in our community will choose to have no part in the traditional activities of Halloween. I certainly understand and respect those choices. And I am not trying to diminish the very real nature of spiritual warfare. But let me suggest to you that if Satan is busy on October 31st, he doesn’t take a vacation on the other 364 days of the year. The spiritual battle on the last day of October is no greater than it is any other day on the calendar. And yes, I realize that Halloween has its roots in pagan holidays. For that matter, so do Christmas and Easter.

What I am suggesting is that this is the one day of the year, when the community comes knocking on my door. Can we not find a better way to take advantage of that phenomenon than to turn off the lights and leave a dark empty house while we’re off at our “alternative” party? Is this what we want to be known for in our neighborhoods—a dark house on the one night that you can be guaranteed the neighbors will visit? Are we not called to be salt and light to the culture around us? What better place to start than on our own block? I fear that Satan stands to gain more from the dark, unwelcoming homes of believers, than from the dress up silliness of the day, however macabre it sometimes gets.

Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy: “God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love…” (2 Tim 1:7). So on Friday night, I for one, will be home with the lights on warmly welcoming the trick-or-treaters to my door with the hope that if there is going to be darkness on Halloween night, at least I can be sure that it won’t be found on my block, at my house.

“I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake”
—1 Corinthians 9:22, 23 NKJV