It’s that time of year again …. the season for ghosts, ghouls and zombies arriving on your doorstep in search of chocolate! I’m not sure which is worse – the prospect of a ‘trick’ or the social awkwardness of trying to make polite conversation with a 6 year-old monster.
It doesn’t need to be like this. We can do better than hiding at the back of the house with the lights out for the whole of Halloween evening! Over the years, I’ve come to see that Halloween is a great opportunity to show genuine Christian love to my community.
We will each want to consider how we respond in practice, but let me suggest 3 general attitudes that are appropriate for Christians as we think about Halloween.
- Don’t be afraid
As Christians, we have reasons not to celebrate Halloween but we’re not scared of it. Whenever Jesus met the devil or evil spirits, he won. On the cross, he broke Satan’s power over his people. He has filled us with his Holy Spirit so that believers can no longer be possessed by demons. Those in Christ are safe.
We can share this confidence with our children by taking them to Bible stories such as Jesus being tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11) or healing a demon-possessed man (Mark 5:1-20). Sometimes, these stories are avoided in children’s Bibles, so you may need to read from an adult Bible and simplify the language.
- Be gentle
Very, very few of the people we know think of Halloween as anything more than a bit of harmless fun. Most of those who dress up, go to parties or knock on our doors are children who don’t know better. We can be gentle in how we approach those who are celebrating Halloween.
- Be generous
It’s great that the children in our communities want to visit us. Let’s be generous and welcoming, so that they feel pleased that they knocked on our door. For example …
- Take the time to carve a pumpkin, put a light inside it and display it outside. This seems to have become the code for, “Trick-or-treat-ers are welcome here”.
- Stock up on sweets and chocolate to give away (and save some for your own children!)
- Consider giving out copies of a gentle, age-appropriate tract that introduces children to Jesus, such as The ghost that wasn’t a ghost or The dressing up box.
- Congratulate the children on their costumes. Thank them for coming. Don’t forget to smile!
- Some churches hold alternative events, such as “Light parties” or “Pumpkin parties”. These make it clear that we’re not against having fun; we just choose carefully what to celebrate. This can be a great way for your church to welcome local children by inviting them to a really enjoyable event.
It would be great if those who knock on our doors this Halloween don’t knock in vain. They might leave saying, “I’m not sure why Christians keep going on about Jesus, but they do seem to be friendly, generous and happy!” I’d certainly venture out of the dark gloom of my kitchen for that.
