OPINION:
As Halloween draws near and daylight hours increasingly diminish, we are reminded that summer is nearly over, and winter is just around the corner.
Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts celebrated the end of their summer harvest on a day called “Samhain.” On this day, October 31, they believed the realm of the living and dead most predominantly overlapped and the next morning initiated the new year. Samhain was an anticipated opportunity for priestly prophecy and fortune-telling as they sought guidance and encouragement from the spiritual realm to endure the impending challenges of the extensive dark and cold winter. Costumes, bonfires, and sacrifices to deities were part of their festivities.
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Over the years, the Roman Catholic Church made many attempts to supplant various pagan celebrations with Christian ones. All Saints’ Day (“All-Hallows” on November 1) was an attempt to replace Samhain with a Christian holiday dedicated to honoring the saints and martyrs of the faith.
Nevertheless, today the pagan roots of Samhain have clearly superseded these Christian efforts. In the later part of the 1800s, America officially embraced Halloween (“All-Hallows Eve”) as a communal celebration of costumes, candy-giving, scary tales, the spiritual realm, the dead, and witchcraft. Similarly, other Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter have pagan roots escalating and prevailing in our current cultural festivities.
So, how should Christians address this situation?
It should not be surprising to Christians that our world is in a perpetual vortex of descent into darkness, because the Scriptures warn us of such things (2 Timothy 3:1, Matthew 24:21, 2 Thessalonians 2:9). Confusion, chaos, and wickedness will continue to increase until the end.
Yet, as a Christian counselor and pastor, I frequently encounter professing believers who are overwhelmed by anxiety, and fears and obsess about the ways that the world has sabotaged their beliefs and way of life. Unfortunately, the influential strategy of Christians today (concerning the evolving cultural norms – not limited to but certainly including Halloween, Christmas, and Easter) appears to be either one of anger and retaliation or detachment and avoidance. That being said, I do not believe our Lord empowered us for a ministry that walks off the battlefield as if to say, “I do not wish to participate anymore!”
Jesus says His followers are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16). We are not to hide or disengage but rather to shine as a light in the darkness and glorify the One true God. Removing our presence from the battlefield forfeits in retreat and buries the light of Christ. On the other hand, is anger and strong criticism our only other option?
What makes the Lord’s children special is His presence (Exodus 33:16, Deuteronomy 20:1-4, Acts 1:4-5, John 14-17). When Christians have not learned how to plug into the powerful presence of His Spirit, then their lives become enslaved to anxiety, fear, anger, and defeat because they feel vulnerable and powerless. Rather than perceiving seasons of darkness as opportunities for Christ’s light to magnify its brilliance in love, humility, confidence, and incredible peace, we become overwhelmed by the human compulsion to control our surroundings and preserve our preferences and comforts.
Nevertheless, Jesus teaches us that in the world we will have tribulation, but in Him we can have peace because He has overcome the world and no power of the enemy can harm us (John 16:33, Luke 10:19). I have heard former participants of the occult warn Christians not to let their children trick-or-treat because wicked people pray curses over the candy! So what? This should not drive us into a place of fear and disengagement but rather into a closer relationship with Jesus. Indeed, those whose faith is simply intellectual and ritualistic are certainly vulnerable to those curses. But if we have an intimate relationship with Jesus through His Spirit, then absolutely nothing can harm us in the spiritual realm. Their curses are useless against the presence of God.
In conclusion, a genuine Christian will prioritize the intellectual and experiential relationship with Jesus so that His Spirit is a living and powerful presence in their life (bearing fruit in peace, love, truth, hope, and life). Costuming for Halloween as creatures aligning with death, the occult, and evil is foolish, but a Christian is sanctioned to participate as an agent of life in the midst of the darkness. That is why we are here! We can dress as biblical characters and share stories of how the light of Christ comes into our dark world to give life to all who believe in Him. We can be witnesses to the truth despite the immense chaos that surrounds us. And we can participate like Jesus did (in His same character) and thereby be ambassadors of His hope, reconciliation, and restoration.
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Derek Mason is the author of “Embracing Our Full Victory in Christ: The Journey from Darkness to Light.” He is founder and president of Identity In Christ, Inc. and currently serves as an associate pastor at Grace Bible Church in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
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