What To Do About Halloween

This is a newsletter article I wrote yesterday that will come out in our church newsletter next week.

This upcoming Wednesday Night is Halloween. Halloween got its name from "All Hallows Eve" which is the night before All Saints Day on November 1st. All Saints Day is the day we remember those saints of the church who have gone on ahead of us.

Churches and people have various responses to Halloween. Some choose to boycott Halloween or have Halloween alternatives. They encourage kids to come dressed as Bible characters. I bet not many Churches would be happy if kids chose to come as David dancing before the Lord (2 Sam 6 for more information). While I have had this view in the past, I now see Halloween differently. If your life is like mine, it's busy. We don't have front porches anymore that encourage talking to our neighbors. Instead we have garage doors that open and close when we come home so we don't have to talk to the outside world. Halloween for me is now the best chance I have all year long to meet my neighbors and get to meet kids from my neighborhood.

About six years ago I went to a seminary professor's house in my neighborhood for trick or treating with my kids. This professor sat outside on his porch and greeted my kids warmly. After they took their share of candy and were leaving, he called out, "Wait, Come back." When they came up again, he gave them each another handful of candy. Such is the Christian gospel, giving us second chances, turning darkness to light. Make this Halloween an opportunity to show God's love and grace to your neighbors!