I get asked quite a bit about my views on Halloween, and whether or not I'm going to dress up my little munchkins and take them door-to-door for candy. I kind of hem and haw around the issue and usually just say that we're not really into Halloween. It's just not our thing. And understandably, I get some pretty weird looks. So I'll explain myself.
I can't tell you how you should feel about this day, and I wouldn't dare try. I'm not the Holy Spirit, nor am I an expert on the history of Halloween, even though I have studied some of its traditions. I can only share with you some personal thoughts on the holiday.
Any way you slice it, and no matter how many "innocent" activities are offered on Halloween, this holiday is simply a day designed to make fear seem fun. It is a day that, in many ways, glorifies darkness: witches, spells, ghosts, scary stories, haunted houses...All of these things originate out of darkness.
I've been in some low places in my life, and I've seen the impact that opening myself up (even a little) to the dark side can have on my life. But thanks be to Christ that He has conquered death and lifted me out of darkness and into His glorious light! He is light, and in Him there can be no darkness. I'm so incredibly grateful for that!
I've come to a place in my life where I want more than anything to reflect this light! I'm so desperate for more of Him that I'm just not interested in celebrating anything that does not give Him glory, or that would even dare to take the glory away from Him.
But what about my kids? You may have asked. Aren't they missing out? Not at all! They can certainly dress up any time they want to. I promise they will not miss out on the fun or have a subpar childhood if they don't trick or treat once a year. In fact, my little Liam loves wearing his cowboy boots and stomping around the house almost every day of the week. And we celebrate the heck out of the season! We love going to fall festivals and on hayrides and picking out pumpkins and mums. We'll indulge in our share of fall-inspired treats and jump into piles of leaves in our freshly raked yard.
Please do not misunderstand my lack of participation as judgment or condemnation or legalism. Your kids are absolutely adorable in their costumes, and I love seeing their smiling faces on Instagram! And if we were going to be home tonight, we would gladly open our door and warmly welcome our neighbors to help themselves to a piece (or two or three) of candy.
But to me, the real treat is Jesus: who He is for me, and what He has done in my life. There is absolutely nothing better!
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and of sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
I recently read a blog post about how this is the one day of the year where our neighbors come right to our doorstep, and we as Christians should seize the opportunity to serve our community in love. While I don't necessarily agree that that means we should celebrate Halloween in the traditional ways that the world does, I love the idea of using every opportunity to point others toward Jesus! Which is why I'm writing this post. If you are struggling in your life and would like to know more about how Christ has made us conquerors and banished the power of fear over us, please send me a message! I'd love to share my story with you.
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
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