Around this time of year I get
the same message from readers: “What does your family do about Halloween?”
Halloween is a hot-button
topic with more than one “right” answer. But there is definitely common ground
all Christians can agree on.
Halloween Shouldn’t Make Us Fearful
Many people are terrified of
Halloween. As Christians we can say this is wrong. Why? Because we are not to
fear anything but God. We are not even to fear death, a common focal point of
Halloween. Death has been “swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54) When
Jesus died he destroyed “the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14) Before Christ
we were slaves to fear, but now we are free.
If Halloween makes us lock
our doors against Satan and hide under our blankets from ghosts and demons, we
are forgetting that God has “delivered us from the domain of darkness and
transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Colossians 1:13) Martin
Luther got it right when he said,
“The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him!
His rage we can endure
For lo, his doom is sure.
One little word shall fell
him.” (A Mighty Fortress, 1527)
We
teach our kids to laugh when they see skeletons
and tombstones and mummies. Laughing reminds us of our victory over death. Whatever a
Christian’s reasons are for not celebrating
Halloween, fear shouldn’t be one of them.
Halloween Shouldn’t Make Us Judgmental
If God allows
for different opinions in the church, we should, too. “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but
not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat
anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not
the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains
pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.” (Romans 14:1-3)
God gives different convictions to different people. We don’t know what God is doing in another person’s
heart, what they’ve been through, or what associations they have with Halloween.
Rather than judging people with different opinions we should welcome them like
God does.
Be Purposeful
Whatever you decide to do about
Halloween should be a conscious decision. Why? Because your kids will ask you
about it. You need to be ready with answers. Recently my son asked, “What is
Halloween all about?” We tell our kids it’s a fun day to enjoy fall and get to
know our neighbors. It’s about whimsy and imagination. It’s an excuse to revel
in the beauty and joy of God’s goodness. We don’t get into the controversial
origins and pagan traditions. The world can have that part. We’ll take the
candy and costumes.
Be Confident
Once you’ve decided how to handle Halloween, you don’t have to prove
anything to anyone. Romans 14:22 says, “The faith that you have, keep
between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment
on himself for what he approves.” If people disagree with you, who cares? Don’t
let that be a reason to constantly second-guess yourself.
Be Loving
There is no intrinsic sin in a Halloween
costume. The sin is in flaunting it in the face of someone who is uncomfortable
with Halloween. There is also nothing sinful about skipping Halloween, but it
is wrong to make others feel guilty for participating in it. Romans 14:13 calls
these, “stumbling blocks.” Why trip each other up? Love covers differences with
respect and kindness.
Where to Draw the Line
Our kids dress up, trick-or-treat,
and eat a ton of candy. We carve silly pumpkins and build relationships with
our neighbors. We don’t string up gory
decorations or dress up as witches and demons. We focus on light-hearted fun. When
our kids see scary things in our neighborhood we laugh and move on. If they ask
us questions we answer them.
In this world our kids will have
to figure out how to take the good and leave the bad. Whether it’s Halloween, a
new Netflix series, or the latest health food fad, they need discernment. We
can’t make every issue black and white for them, but we can give them a map and
teach them how to navigate. Halloween is a great place to start.
"I absolutely LOVE this book!! Super practical, short and packed full of gospel truth!!! Great for anyone even if you're not a mom and if you are a mom it will definitely speak right to your heart!" - Katie
This is the best blog post I've read on this topic. Thanks for such clarity and insight.
ReplyDeleteThank you for balance and wisdom. Things are very different in UK. Halloween is all about the gory, death, scary stuff. There isn't any other stuff to focus on!! So we are very happy to watch and laugh, at you say, but not take part!!
ReplyDeletehmmmmmm
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