October 31st

October 31st; what do you think of when you hear this date?
Probably very few equate it with or realize it is considered the anniversary date of the Reformation. It is the date that Luther nailed his 95 thesis on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church in 1517. Sadly, many if not most people think of Halloween.
As a child, I and my sisters would dress up for Halloween and go “trick or treating”. My parents, or mom, would drive us around in the community, and sometimes we walked, to get those sugary treats. Never realizing what the slogan really conveys; that if you didn’t hand over a treat you would have a “trick” – a prank – committed against you.
I think most parents simply want their children to have a little fun and haven’t considered the implications hidden behind this “holiday”. It does make you wonder how much “good” all the junk food and candy collected and eaten do to a child. Have you ever wondered about the harm caused, not just by the candy, or the idea being planted in the minds of kids to retaliate if they don’t receive their demands, but by the “evil” implicit in this holiday?
As a child I use to delight in wearing the scariest, creepiest costume I could find to wear “trick or treating”, and even later as a young adult when going to parties – no doubt from the influence of tv/movie watching and my lack of connection to Jesus. But later, as Christ drew me close to Him, I didn’t find anything about this holiday celebration that really seemed pure, lovely, noble, or praiseworthy (see Philippians 4:8).
As I began to read and study about the origins of Halloween. I became more convicted that there was nothing here in the typical Halloween celebration that a Christian should be involved in.
Some perplexed parents may wonder, “What is a Christian to do?” Do we just close our doors on Halloween and shut off our porch lights and ignore what is happening in our neighborhood? Or is it appropriate to provide an alternative at church (like some sort of harvest festival or social night)?
How can a Christian be in the world and not of the world on October 31? Well, it is certainly an improvement to open our doors to children and give them something healthy (instead of candy) along with Christian literature. And appropriate to give our children good alternatives to the world’s offerings.
Here are five guidelines taken from Amazing Facts web site that can help you through this yearly holiday:
1. Follow the Bible. Teach your children plainly and clearly that the Bible does not support worshiping or honoring dead people. Whether the roots of Halloween come from the Samhain pagan beliefs in having a feast for the dead or an attempt by the Christian church to honor dead saints or praying for dead people who have not quite made it to heaven, the Bible is clear that the dead are truly dead. (See Isaiah 8:19, 20.) No Christian can honestly “celebrate” Halloween.
2. Share your faith whenever possible. Jesus encouraged His disciples to be “in the world” but not “of the world” (John 17:15, 16). That is not always easy. Many Christians feel compelled to share their faith with neighbors at Halloween. Instead of ignoring when children happen by their homes, they open their doors to share something appropriate to guide them toward Jesus and the Bible. Instead of candy, one family gives kids miniature pumpkins along with an informative pamphlet.
3. Draw clear boundaries. Decide, based on Scripture, what you choose to do at Halloween. Pray and study earnestly and follow the convictions of the Holy Spirit. Some activities at Halloween are obviously things a Christian will not participate in: watching horror movies, eating lots of junk food, playing pranks that hurt people, telling scary stories, or visiting so-called haunted attractions.
4. Provide appropriate alternatives. When our children were little, our church attempted to guide people away from traditional Halloween activities to something better. Children came to a social at the church and learned about animals and listened to an interactive talk on Noah and the ark. Even non-Sabbath-keeping parents were thankful to have an option for kids who wanted to go out and collect candy or dress up in scary costumes or attend public school events.
5. Refrain from a judgmental spirit. Perhaps your fellow Christians are working through how to deal with Halloween. Maybe they are not as clear or convicted as you are about what to do—especially those with children. Approaching them with an angry or critical spirit will not help them. Instead of condemning parents, why not invite a few families into your home for a short, age-appropriate Bible study, refreshments, and family-building games. Make it a time of worship and fellowship with the emphasis that as Christians the only thing we “hallow” is the name of our Heavenly Father to whom Jesus taught us when we pray to say, “Hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9).
Halloween is obviously not a holiday that Christians should celebrate. Yet some good-hearted Christians believe it can be an opportunity to teach others about what truly happens when people die. However you choose to tackle this dubious holiday in your home, why not make sure that in the least, you spend time sharing your faith, worshiping the Living God with your family, or participating in community-building fellowship with your church. It is possible, with God’s help, to turn something meant for evil into something to point others to the truth about life, death, and the Heavenly Father!