Halloween 2011

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be ... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 2 Tim 3:1-2,4-5

My opinion and approach to Halloween, as a believer in Christ, has been one of distant tolerance and simple avoidance. This has stemmed the tide, for the most part and has allowed our family to navigate the school years without incident.

However, over the last few years, I have sensed a growing cultural push toward "legitimizing" Halloween as a holiday. It may never achieve legal status, but culturally it is certainly on an ascending path. And, as I was recently talking to someone about the sadness of Hinduism, with its multiplicity of gods, I began to realize, that is what Halloween is becoming to us.

So, without writing a full blown critique, I wanted to share two concerns thoughtful disciples of Christ may want to consider as they evaluate Halloween and what they teach their children about it. And, as I enter into these comments, please know I am a firm, robust supporter of our freedoms in Christ. But as Paul told the Corinthian church, "Everything is lawful to me, but not everything is helpful".

My first concern is that Halloween is transparently evil. This, of course, is not new. I remember haunted houses back in my high school days. But what used to be portrayed as extreme or gruesome is now being portrayed as normative and even worshipful. There are lawn displays that could easily evoke a Christmas spirit were it not for the blood and disembodied heads laying on the ground. And all of this leads not to Christ, not to our creator God, but to the one who is leading the rebellion against them both.

My second concern is that Halloween is not, and probably never was, a frontal assault on the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Instead it is the synchrotistic, back-door approach that seems to work so well, especially in our 21st, undiscerning culture. For a church or a person who is not locked in on the truth of God's Word, Halloween can cause a very slow and subtle, yet very deliberate erosion of our complete and utter devotion to Christ.

So, what do we do? First (and always!) pray, then observe, then respond. Think of Paul in Athens. (Acts 17) How did he know the city was full of idols? How did he know what cultural message to address when given the chance. He was soaked in who Christ was, so when he saw how much Jesus was not part of the Athenian culture, his heart broke. Yet when given the chance to speak he turned the very thing that grieved his spirit into an opportunity to proclaim the truth.

To God Alone be the Glory