One of the wonderful aspects of a Life in Christ is the Liberty Believers are provided in the Body. Instead of a long list of dos and don’ts, we have one law to keep – The Law of Love. You can find it in the Bible in Matthew 22:37-40.
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. -- Matthew 22:37-40 <KJV>
Halloween can be a fun time to dress up as someone else, gather with friends, and for families with small children, a wonderful time to create memories together dressing up and hitting the Trick or Treat circuit. And as long as “tricks” are avoided, it can be quite a fun experience.
Some churches have alternative events, a Fall Festival, or early All Saints Day activities, which is celebrated the next day – November 1st. Others want nothing to do with the holiday, warning that its dipping your toe in shark infested waters. And others don’t really care one way or another.
My parents, both Spirit-filled Believers, took a slightly different path with my sisters and me. They knew the desire to be with our friends would be huge. They wanted us to participate in the fun, but not in the darker parts of the holiday. Which in our neighborhood included lots of tricks, some really dangerous and quite destructive. And unfortunately, peer pressure got me into quite a few that I now regret.
31 So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. 32 Do not let yourselves be [hindrances by giving] an offense to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God [do not lead others into sin by your mode of life]; 33 Just as I myself strive to please [to accommodate myself to the opinions, desires, and interests of others, adapting myself to] all men in everything I do, not aiming at or considering my own profit and advantage, but that of the many in order that they may be saved. -- 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 <AMP>
Unfortunately, the Bible never speaks directly on the subject of Halloween, so we have to look carefully for direction. For instance, take Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Note the first priority is to do everything to honor and glorify God. But the second priority is to not offend Believers, or unbelievers. That creates a quandary. How can you minister to people or share the Gospel if you elect not to participate in their activities. Even Jesus ate dinner with sinners, much to the dismay of religious leaders. (Matthew 9:9-13) This is where prayer and careful Spiritual discernment comes in. What is your purpose in attending the Halloween function? Does your costume glorify God, or at least does it not offend? Are you able to attend and interact with Love in your heart and not judgment? Can you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to possibly minister to someone who might be hurting, or know when to back off, and give way to God?
12 Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power. -- 1 Corinthians 6:12 <AMP>
Earlier in that same letter, Paul makes the point that everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Sounds like commonsense, but quite the revelation for folks in the Body of Christ. Jesus came to transform you into the image of the Lord. But religion seeks to conform you into their image. (2 Corinthians 3:12-18) Jesus sets people free! And in this Liberty, we can worship God without fear, without constant condemnation or religious bondage. That Liberty extends to the world, but we know, some by experience, that certain activities – drugs, alcohol, fornication, perversion, seek to ensnare you. Believers must be vigilant to enjoy their Liberty, and not be enslaved.
The Economics Of Halloween
Halloween is BIG BUSINESS. More than $10 Billion was spent on Halloween in 2021. Its second only to Christmas in economic activity. Does Halloween negatively influence charitable giving? Probably not. Could the money spent be better allocated? Maybe. It does stimulate the economy, so there likely is some benefit to the celebration. But should you spend money on the holiday?
Halloween On Screen And In Popular Culture
Within the entertainment industry, the holiday has taken a very dark turn. There is no shortage of demonic-themed movies and shows. The characters, often quite scary, are some of the most popular costumes. Glorification of witchcraft, paganism, and satan abounds. And even if a religious character manages to appear in a script, they are often the stooge, or one of the first victims of the evil antagonist. This of course supposedly proves the folly of Christianity, and the weakness of God.
Jesus defeated satan at every turn. He once whipped him so bad, satan left for a whole season. (Luke 4:13) In every dealing with demons, Jesus dismissed them with a Word, showing that he had absolute authority over the enemy. That authority was passed to the Body of Christ, although few people have this knowledge, and even fewer exercise their authority.
But watch any horror film and you would think God doesn’t exist, or is powerless against evil. And Christians are dimwitted fools, fodder for the monsters or villain. Admittedly, if directors delivered the Truth, their films would be far less interesting, and a lot shorter.
Imagine the scene. Jesus arrives by boat at a remote shore. A crazy naked man comes out from the rocks running towards him, screaming incoherently. Jesus calmly asks who is possessing the man. One devil replies, “We are Legion. We are many!”
Tension is high. The camera zooms in on Jesus, expecting to see fear in his eyes, or sweat on his brow. Instead, he is looking with Love at the man so tormented and enslaved by this army of demons. Legion knows his time is done. He does not want to lose his connection with the Earth, and begs to be sent into a herd of pigs, rather than be sent away. And Jesus permits this. But the swine could not live another moment with demon spirits in their midst, and charged into the lake, drowning the herd.
With the tension removed, the music changes, and the camera focuses on the man, now clothed, and free from possession. He kneels before Jesus begging to follow him wherever he goes. Jesus, knowing this meeting was coming, had planned ahead and brought extra clothes for the man. Something that made little sense to the apostles at the time. Jesus was quite pleased by the man’s desire to follow him, but there was something more important for him to do. Jesus sent him back to his people, the very ones who had chained him to the rocks and left him to die, to share how Jesus had set him free. And he was quite good at his task. THE END
Might make a good short, or a scene from a larger story, but probably not a stand alone film.
Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself
One of the most common phrases in the Bible is “Fear Not!” You can find it everywhere and in many different combinations. Fear is the opposite of faith. Faith is the only thing that pleases the Father. (Hebrews 11:1-6) It is the substance of things hoped for, while fear connects to the things we dread. Fear is what brought calamity into Job’s life, as he stated, that which I greatly feared has come upon me. (Job 3:25-26) It wasn’t just a little fear – he GREATLY feared. And satan took the opportunity to give him everything he was expecting because of fear.
Its important for Believers, and especially their children, to avoid fear. Treat it like the plague. Nothing undermines faith faster than fear. If the Halloween event is intended to scare people, keep away, especially true for young children.
As we learned a few paragraphs back, Halloween is a huge money maker for Hollywood, and a major holiday for all things dark and evil. Scary movies, witchcraft, demonic activity, the occult are all promoted by the media and pop culture. Believers should have nothing to do with the occult, witchcraft, or worship of any kind directed towards anyone other than God. If you have to stay indoors and read your Bible, so be it. Life will be better without introducing fear into your life.
Some churches put on their own Fall carnivals, with costumes and games for the kids. This might be a healthy alternative. Celebrating the harvest is something that can be done that glorifies God. He is the one who gives the increase and makes you prosper. Another option is a neighborhood party where folks agree to dial back the “evil” and “scary” displays, and the grotesque. They then get together for a cookout and exchange sweets, building goodwill in the community, and among people of all religious backgrounds.
Have a Happy Halloween, but FEAR NOT!!!
Image: iStock.com/Bogdan Kurylo
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