Do you DO Halloween?
Do You DO Halloween?
October 29, 2007
It is this time of year that the ever popular seasonal question arises amongst Christians, "Do you DO Halloween?" I recently received an email from a friend who set out a challenge to me to answer the question, "who or what do I stand for" in regards to the very controversial (for Christians) Halloween holiday. I thought I'd share with you in this journal my expanded answer to that question.
First let me start by saying that I've never been as excited as I am about Halloween as I am this year. Yes, you read that right, I'm excited and looking forward to Halloween night. The night where pumpkins glow with creepy faces, where kids dress up as ugly, scary, evil creatures and screams and shrieks are heard throughout the neighborhood. Why should a Christian woman as myself who devotes herself to the furthering of God's kingdom be enthusiastic over such a celebration of death? Does not the Bible say in 1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." And what about in Ephesians 6:12 where a warning of the true reality of what we as believers are at battle with, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places". Have we not been called by Jesus Himself to be the light of the world (Matt 5:14) and to abstain from all appearances of evil as is understood in 1 Thessalonians 5:22?
I will tell you friends that I agree with all those Bible scriptures. But may I go a bit further with you in regards to Halloween. Now I do not love the things of this world, but I do love the people Jesus died for. And you better believe that I am aware of the powers that are at work, which is why I dress in the full armor of God everyday of the year, so that I will be able to stand firm in God's strength and mighty power (Eph. 6:10). I will abstain from every appearance of evil, which is why my kids do not dress in anything that will add to the darkness. And I will be a light for Jesus in this dark world on Halloween night and on every day and night that follows. My enthusiasm for opening the doors to possible witches, goblins and grotesque creatures only drives me to my knees because these are the people who need Jesus. If we were to protest by turning our porch light off and locking our doors we are shutting out the very people who need to know Jesus. In essence, we are saying, "you are not welcome, we don't like you, we are better than you". What a dark night that would really be. I am opening my door, because after all, didn't Jesus come to save the lost. I choose not only to be a light as God has called me to, but to also speak the language of the lost. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul says, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some". No Jesus tracks, no "God Loves You" pencils, no bullhorn preaching. The language of those coming to my door will be all about candy. And I am going to give it to them.
Do I DO Halloween? You better believe I do. Because to me "doing" Halloween means opening my door to people to use those few moments to capture their hearts for God in some way before I drop the candy in their bag and they are gone forever. Yes, I "do" Halloween because if Jesus would sit with a prostitute, eat with a cheat, and forgive a thief, why wouldn't I do at least this much in His name.
October 29, 2007
It is this time of year that the ever popular seasonal question arises amongst Christians, "Do you DO Halloween?" I recently received an email from a friend who set out a challenge to me to answer the question, "who or what do I stand for" in regards to the very controversial (for Christians) Halloween holiday. I thought I'd share with you in this journal my expanded answer to that question.
First let me start by saying that I've never been as excited as I am about Halloween as I am this year. Yes, you read that right, I'm excited and looking forward to Halloween night. The night where pumpkins glow with creepy faces, where kids dress up as ugly, scary, evil creatures and screams and shrieks are heard throughout the neighborhood. Why should a Christian woman as myself who devotes herself to the furthering of God's kingdom be enthusiastic over such a celebration of death? Does not the Bible say in 1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." And what about in Ephesians 6:12 where a warning of the true reality of what we as believers are at battle with, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places". Have we not been called by Jesus Himself to be the light of the world (Matt 5:14) and to abstain from all appearances of evil as is understood in 1 Thessalonians 5:22?
I will tell you friends that I agree with all those Bible scriptures. But may I go a bit further with you in regards to Halloween. Now I do not love the things of this world, but I do love the people Jesus died for. And you better believe that I am aware of the powers that are at work, which is why I dress in the full armor of God everyday of the year, so that I will be able to stand firm in God's strength and mighty power (Eph. 6:10). I will abstain from every appearance of evil, which is why my kids do not dress in anything that will add to the darkness. And I will be a light for Jesus in this dark world on Halloween night and on every day and night that follows. My enthusiasm for opening the doors to possible witches, goblins and grotesque creatures only drives me to my knees because these are the people who need Jesus. If we were to protest by turning our porch light off and locking our doors we are shutting out the very people who need to know Jesus. In essence, we are saying, "you are not welcome, we don't like you, we are better than you". What a dark night that would really be. I am opening my door, because after all, didn't Jesus come to save the lost. I choose not only to be a light as God has called me to, but to also speak the language of the lost. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul says, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some". No Jesus tracks, no "God Loves You" pencils, no bullhorn preaching. The language of those coming to my door will be all about candy. And I am going to give it to them.
Do I DO Halloween? You better believe I do. Because to me "doing" Halloween means opening my door to people to use those few moments to capture their hearts for God in some way before I drop the candy in their bag and they are gone forever. Yes, I "do" Halloween because if Jesus would sit with a prostitute, eat with a cheat, and forgive a thief, why wouldn't I do at least this much in His name.
Labels: Halloween
posted by Gerhard Kramer | 3:33 PM
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