Christians hold diverse opinions on Halloween. Some see it as Satanic, some see it as harmless and most of us are somewhere in between. I would be one of those people. On one hand the fascination with horror, gore, death and demons is particularly troublesome to me, on the other hand, it is the second most popular “holiday” in the U.S. and that seems to me like an opportunity to do some good for the Kingdom.
Halloween has it’s origins in Christianity. A day for remembering loved ones gone before as well as all the saints and as such maybe it’s not a case for coming out against it or ignoring it, but rather an opportunity for the church to reclaim and redeem. Leave that to your conscience, convictions and what the Holy Spirit (the only Spirit worth listening to) tells you to do. Follow your convictions and do what God says.
What inspired this post was something I heard a good friend say yesterday. She said Halloween is her favorite holiday because she gets to try being someone else. Now some of you may find that cringe-worthy, but I get it. I had a day like that, but it wasn’t Halloween, it was the day Christ came into my life. The Kings James Bible says “If any man be in Christ, He is a new creature…” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Christ came in and made a radical transformation in my life for the better. Of course there are major differences between my experience and my friend’s with Halloween. Her change is temporary, trying on an identity for a short period of time, all in fun, stretching her creativity to explore possibilities (that is the best side of Halloween, isn’t it?). In my case, I hated who I was and what I was becoming and needed a change that would be for good in both senses of the word. The old me needed to go, and I needed to become a new creature. The following two videos are explorations of what it means to be a new creature. Check them out and regardless about what you think and feel about Halloween, use this day to glorify God.
