Halloween: Harmless Holiday or Holy Day?

“Trick or treat!” Many of us who never have doorbells rung or doors knocked on in the evening will experience just that on Oct. 31, which has turned into the secular holiday we know as Halloween.

 

Will this be one of your 
visitors Halloween night?

When we hear ‘Halloween,’ we might conjure up all manner of images. Little kids dressed up like Mickey or Minnie Mouse, Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol or PJ Masks characters. Or the traditional costumes of scary creatures like ghosts, goblins, witches – or even well-known politicians. All canvassing neighborhoods crying out, “Trick or treat!” and expecting to have bags they’re carrying filled with candy and other treats.

People have a variety of perspectives on this annual practice, but rarely do we associate it with a revered religious tradition. Before the day was co-opted by candy manufacturers and costume makers, it was observed as All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints’ Day. The word “hallow” means holy or sanctified, so All Hallows’ Eve translates to ‘the evening of all saints.’

 

In some Christian denominations, the term “saint” is reserved for a very elite group of people. This would include the apostles, some martyrs, and individuals who are reputed to have participated in some form of miracle. However, the biblical definition of the word isn’t nearly as narrow.

 

We find an Old Testament reference in the prophetic book of Daniel, which foretells events of ‘the last days’ before the return of the promised Messiah. It says, “until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom” (Daniel 7: 22).

 

The New Testament provides a number of references that make clear that when the Bible speaks of ‘saints,’ it’s not referring to those that commonly come to mind: Saint Peter, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Christopher, Saint Nicholas, and others. The word “saint” simply means those who are set apart, made holy as a result of being born again in Jesus Christ, and being conformed into His image day by day.

 

In Acts 9:32, for example, we read that “As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.” These were living, breathing men and women who were devoted followers of Christ. Several verses later, in a brief account of God using Peter to raise a woman named Tabitha from the dead, it says, “…[Peter] gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and the widows, he presented her alive” (Acts 9:41).

 

The apostle Paul addresses one of his New Testament epistles “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). Later in the same letter, concerning a woman named Phoebe, he writes, “I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me” (Romans 16:2). In effect, the apostle introduces one saint to a group of saints in another city.

 

Writing to believers in the city of Corinth, Paul cites one of the responsibilities the saints – God’s set apart ones – will have: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2). Seems like those the Lord has set apart as His children one day will serve as His Supreme Court.

 

In another letter to the Corinthians Paul exhorts believers to be actively involved in acts of generosity. He says, “There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know your eagerness to help…. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:1,12).

 

To Christ followers in ancient Ephesus, Paul repeatedly refers to saints – God’s people. He opens by greeting “the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1). Then he expresses his fervent desire “that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:17-18).

 

Then he explains the reason God has given spiritual gifts to all who are called by His name: “to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

 

I don’t know about you, but I think this is so cool – to be called one of God’s saints – not on the basis of some liturgical body’s deliberations and decision, but simply because the Lord has chosen each of us as His followers, His people, His holy ones.

 

So this Halloween, while passing out candy and treats to children disguised in festive attire, try to reflect that you're doing so on All Hallows’ Eve, as one of God’s saints.

Halloween: Proceed With Caution

With Halloween upon us, the annual celebration of witches, goblins, and candy corn, it behooves me to offer a few thoughts about it. 

I remember – in the “olden days” – when kids would canvas the neighborhood, whether attired in some chintzy costume our moms bought at the 5&10 or something homemade, like an old sheet with holes cut for our eyes. (It helps to be able to see where you’re going.) We ventured forth with our parents’ blessing, never fearing the “treats” had somehow been sabotaged or tainted.

 

How things have changed! These days costumes are so elaborate they can cost nearly as much as a suit of clothes. All the big retail stores have displays featuring scary “animatronic” characters. Entire stores are dedicated to Halloween finery. And some haunted houses are so frightening, movies like “Friday the 13^th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” seem tame by comparison.

Nevertheless, it’s still the one day that mom and dad can send their children to carefully selected homes where the kiddos can gather a year’s worth of candy to fuel their sugar rush – all to be consumed over the next week or so.

 

Not to put a damper on this seemingly innocent event, but what do you suppose the Scriptures have to say about Halloween? Technically nothing. That name – or All Hallows Eve – as it’s also known, don’t appear in holy writ. But the Bible has lots to say about the occult and the unseen spiritual war being waged all around us.

 

Many of us have heard about what Ephesians 6:11 calls “the full armor of God,” proceeding to identify the elements of this armor: the belt of truth…the breastplate of righteousness…feet fitted with…the gospel of peace…the shield of faith…the helmet of salvation…the sword of the Spirit, which is the world of God…and prayer” (Ephesians 6:14-18).

 

But what’s this spiritual armor for – what’s it protect us against? This passage also gives us the answer: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:11-12). These are sobering words. 

 

Many would argue, “Halloween is just a fun ‘holiday’ for kids. There’s nothing evil about it.” In one sense that’s true. Little girls dressing up as princesses or furry animals or even Barbie, and little boys wearing costumes like characters from Paw Patrol or Sesame Street or superheroes aren’t summoning denizens from the dark world. 

 

Too often, however, trick-or-treaters’ garb is more like the monsters of contemporary theatrical Halloween horror films in which too much blood and gore is never enough. If you don’t believe evil in our world is perhaps more pervasive than ever, you haven’t looked at the movie listings at the local theater. Or even tuned in to the evening news, for that matter. We’re powerless to dispel the presence of evil, but we certainly don’t need to celebrate it.

 

In one of his most powerful letters, the apostle Paul offers encouraging words: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Are there angels and demons? The apostle clearly states there are. Thankfully, Paul also gives the assurance, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

 

In his classic book, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our face call fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” Halloween, maybe more than any other day of the year, can prompt us either to dismiss the existence of satanic powers altogether or to focus on them far too much, inadvertently opening a door we wish we’d never opened. 

Trick or treating per se isn’t wrong or bad; many churches even stage “trunk or treat” outreaches to offer a safe place for children to collect sweets and perhaps experience a friendly first introduction to the body of Christ. However, to borrow the lines from the old song, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” 

There’s a very active, aggressive spiritual world all around us that we can’t see – but we can observe and sometimes experience firsthand its devastating effects. Amid the Halloween frivolity, we’d be wise to heed the warning of 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”

When ‘Scream Therapy’ Seems the Best Remedy

“I could just scream!” Have you ever thought that – or even said it aloud? With this being the day for the annual Halloween observance, screaming seems to be the order of the day. Ghosts, goblins, vampires and even devilish clowns have been conjured up by folks decorating their yards with ghoulish imagery and children of all ages donning their costumes. If you don’t want to masquerade as a superhero or fairy princess, then zombies, the Frankenstein monster or pretending to be somebody’s mummy apparently are good choices. They’re a scream!

But it doesn’t have to be Halloween season to feel a need for scream therapy. Let’s see: COVID-19 is still lurking around, even though it seems past its 2021 prime. Almost makes you wonder, “What’s next?” Gasoline prices and inflation in general have made a frontal assault on our household budgets. The prospect going to the grocery store has become a horror show for many families.

 

With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, candidates are presenting abundant evidence that the “fine art” of nasty, negative political advertising can indeed get worse. “Oh, no! Another campaign commercial!” Then there’s the sky-is-falling news media, intent on twisting the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words by convincing us that we’ve got nothing to fear but…well, just about everything.

 

So, if you wake up some mornings – or go to bed some nights – and feel like screaming, you’re not alone. 

 

This isn’t new, however. It’s been a problem throughout time. Consider the title character in the Old Testament book of Job. There he was, minding his own business – and apparently very well. He had seven sons and three daughters, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and “a large number of servants” (but who was counting?) Job was regarded as “the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job 1:2-3). Basically, the Bill Gates or Warren Buffett of his day.

 

Not only that, but God Himself called him “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8). He had it “made in the shade,” as the old saying would have phrased it. But then Satan ruined everything, confronting the Lord about this model citizen.

 

“‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ Satan replied. ‘Have you not put a hedge around him, and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands…. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face’” (Job 1:9-11).

 

God did not afflict Job Himself but gave Satan permission to put Job’s devotion to the test. “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger,” the Lord responded. And Satan did – taking away the animals, servants, and finally, the sons and daughters. Job, however, didn’t scream; he reacted by tearing his robe, shaving his head, and then bowing in worship, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:20-21).

 

Frustrated by Job’s steadfast faith, Satan decided to press further, arguing with God, “A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 2:4-5). So, once again God allowed Satan to afflict this noble man in covering his entire body with painful sores.

 

By this time, it was Job’s wife who felt like screaming. “[She] said to him, ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!’” To which Job simply replied, “…Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (Job 2:9-10).

 

We find numerous other examples of people in the Bible whose laments must have measured in many decibels, including Jeremiah, the so-called “weeping prophet.” He spoke the words and admonitions of God wherever he went, yet everything he said seemed to fall on deaf or disinterested ears.

 

At one point Jeremiah moans, “See, O Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious…. People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice at what you have done. May you bring the day you have announced so they may become like me” (Lamentations 1:20-21).

 

Can you relate to Job in any way – or Jeremiah? Even if your own travails aren’t as extreme, do the words, “Woe is me!” ever hang from the tip of your tongue?

 

At such times, I’ve often found it helpful to turn to the Psalms for comfort and reassurance. For instance, in Psalm 23:4 we find the familiar words, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” 

 

In another psalm written by King David, we’re reminded, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?.... I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:1,13-14).

We could cite hundreds of other examples, but yet another verse sums it up well: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him” (Psalm 28:7). Praying and trusting in the Lord, rather than screaming, is the better choice. 

Gloom and Doom Need Not Dominate This Holiday

Another annual celebration of ghosts and goblins and witches and Jack-o-lanterns is upon us. I’m not among them, but there are some people for whom Halloween ranks as a favorite holiday, surpassing even Christmas and Thanksgiving. Interesting.

 

Driving around – yes, you can still do that even in these COVID days – I’ve noticed several yards when the homeowners have devoted a lot of time making their yards look as scary as possible. Several TV cable networks have scheduled Halloween-themed movies all month. And civic leaders are deciding what social-distancing guidelines are best for trick-or-treating.

The Bible says nothing directly about Halloween, unless you accept the little girl’s misinterpretation when she was asked to recite the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven, Halloween Thy name….” For many folks, Halloween is nothing more than a fun day for wearing silly costumes and passing out candy. However, it does have its dark side, as depicted by gory horror movies that make it a focal point. Death is a recurring theme, and throughout history there have been those for whom All Hallow’s Eve has been a sacred rite.

 

Much is said in the Scriptures about the inescapable reality and specter of death. For instance, the book of Romans tells us about the problem,“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), as well as its consequence and its remedy, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

 

Referring to Christ’s atoning death for our sins, another passage offers these words of assurance: 

“If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin…. The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:5-11).

 

James Ward, who for many years served as music director and worship leader at New City Fellowship in Chattanooga, composed a wonderful song affirming that for the follower of Christ, death need not conjure the grim images we often see at Halloween. Instead, one’s passing from this life can indeed be a time for joyous celebration.

 

This upbeat, inspiring tune, called “Death Is Ended,” is based on 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, which declares:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed…then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

 

If you’re observing Halloween this year – in some respects, it seems all of 2020 has been one continuous enactment of Halloween at its worst – I hope for you it’s funny costumes and tasty candy treats. But if you find yourself dwelling on the sobering, gloomy aspects of the day, please take to heart this glorious promise:

 

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). 

Covering Up What’s On the Inside

Every year when Halloween rolls around, I have mixed feelings. The prevalent focus on things like witches, zombies and vampires seems disturbing, but not surprising, given our society’s fascination with evil, the paranormal and the occult. However, what’s wrong with seeing little girls dressed up in sky-blue gowns like Elsa in “Frozen,” or little boys disguised like Jack Sparrow of “Pirates of the Caribbean”?

Shops spring up in vacant retail spaces, marketing all manner of festive and frightening attire. Some adults also enjoy costume parties, donning masks and sometimes complete costumes to disguise their identities. All in good fun for the most part, although TV murder mysteries this time of year often take place at adult Halloween parties. So, beware!

But this idea of hiding our true identities is hardly new. Dramas dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans featured masked characters scheming to hoodwink protagonists and antagonists. Shakespeare did the same, although customs of the day required that males portray even females. In those days, apparently, a woman’s place was in the audience.

But even for the many of us who have no performing aspirations, who will never be welcomed into any thespian society, we know all about acting. For instance, engaging in a heated argument on the way to church but, the moment we exit our car in the parking lot, donning Sunday smiles and acting as if nary a contrary word was uttered.

We adopt a public persona. It might be on the job, speaking from a podium, or campaigning for office, seeking to delude those seeing and hearing us from knowing who we truly are and how we truly behave in private. And we didn’t even attend Miss Polly’s School for Acting!

There is one person, however, who can’t be deceived by our outward posturing. In 1 Samuel 16:7 we read, “For God sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” We don’t have X-ray vision and can’t discern someone’s inner character, so we’re easily duped, especially by those adept at presenting personal facades. God doesn’t have that problem. Just as He expertly saw which of Jesse’s sons – David – was fit to serve as king of Israel, He’s equally skilled at perceiving our inner thoughts and motives.

The Lord is right on the spot in diagnosing our “heart problems,” As Proverbs 21:2 declares, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” And Proverbs 16:2 concurs, “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” If only we had such ability.

As the verses above assert, we not only mask our inner selves from others, but there are also times when we manage to self-delude. We can convince ourselves that we’re right, that our motives couldn’t be more pure. Even when they’re not. So it’s important to perform a self-heart check to make certain we’re not hiding inside costumes year-round, not just at Halloween time.

How do we do that? The Scriptures serve as a great mirror for reflecting our inner selves. Hebrews 4:12 explains, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” How do our lives stack up against what we see in God’s Word?

As James 1:22-24 admonishes, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” 

Halloween can be a fun, harmless, once-a-year diversion. But God desires for us to devote our lives of service to Him and His people as we truly are, sans “costume.” A term that describes this is integrity. It seems to have largely fallen out of favor in our society, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. Proverbs 11:3 asserts, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”

In other words, if we’re diligent to be genuine, the people we present ourselves to be, we need not fear being exposed as pretending to be someone we’re not. As 2 Corinthians 4:16 promises all who faithfully follow Christ, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” It’s what’s inside that counts most.

Our Not So Hallowed Halloween

Pumpkins and pirates. Costumes and candy. Cartoon characters and trick-or-treaters. These comprise some of the fun, harmless elements of the annual observance we call Halloween. What’s not to like about little girls being able to dress up to look like Elsa of “Frozen” or Ariel the Little Mermaid, or little boys trying to emulate favorite superheroes or a Minion?

Unfortunately, Halloween often conjures up darker elements as well: Witches, zombies, vampires, Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers types, myriad manifestations of the occult. So when “H” day arrives we have two very different presentations. How to respond? Do we ignore the negatives and focus on the positives? Do we avoid such activities altogether? Or do we choose somewhere in between?

It comes down to a matter of personal conviction, but the former scenario doesn’t seem much different from adult costume parties or masquerades. People of all ages enjoy donning silly attire and wearing masks. And the “loot” collected gives kids and grownups alike a chance to satisfy sweet-tooth cravings.

My only reservation about Halloween is the focus on death and evil, which seems to have intensified with the passage of years. I still remember years ago when I asked the pastor of the church we were attending about my hobby at the time, which was reading horror novels. Rather than lecturing me about how wrong it was to do that, he just offered an insightful question: “When you read those books, are they drawing you toward God – or are they directing you away from Him?”

I immediately got his point and chose to stop reading such fiction. There’s already enough in the world around us that seeks to seduce us away from godly thinking and reverence for the Lord. I didn’t need to subject myself to other influences that could do much the same.

While the Bible says nothing specifically about Halloween in any of its forms, it does give guidelines to help us determine how we should observe it, if at all. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 we’re instructed to “examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” Whether choosing a costume that represents the Hollywood ghoul du jour is evil or not can be a subjective judgment. But Philippians 4:8 takes another approach, a perspective that encourages us to intentionally accentuate the positive:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

If our approach to Halloween – or any holiday or celebration for that matter – meets that criteria, we can proceed in good conscience. Because we’ll fulfilling the biblical admonitions to “set your minds on things above” (Colossians 3:2) and to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Getting a Hollow Feeling from Halloween

Halloween has its tame, fun side, as with festive pumpkins, and
silly characters, but also a more sinister side.

Halloween is an interesting holiday of many faces – literally. On one hand, it’s a time for little kids to don silly costumes, go door to door visiting neighbors and collect a stash of candies and other treats. We see everything from fuzzy animals to cartoon characters to celebrities to the traditional ghosts and witches. Adults sometimes get into the act, attending their own grown-up, Halloween-themed costume parties.

It’s a time when we can revisit Washington Irving’s classic, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” with its “headless horseman.” (Spoiler alert: He wasn’t a very cerebral thinker.) Or watch Charlie Brown conduct his annual search for the Great Pumpkin.

Then there’s the other side of Halloween, featuring elements of the occult and macabre. Popular TV shows devote episodes to things that go bump in the night, replete with ghosts, goblins, and even darker aspects of the supernatural. Theaters often schedule releases of the latest, most gruesome movies for this frightful season. There was even a series of “Halloween” horror films – not to be confused with non-Halloween horror films.

As an avid reader growing up, I became well-acquainted with scary stories. Fittingly, since I grew up on Poe Avenue, I loved reading Edgar Allan Poe’s work, including tales like “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Telltale Heart.” Even into my early adult years, I maintained a great affinity for novels in the horror and occult genre. I embraced authors like H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King. Imagine converting blood and gore into multimillion-dollar incomes.

Then in the late ‘70s my fascination with the occult was challenged. My pastor gave a message on the subject, explaining how even dabbling with the so-called paranormal could result in bad spiritual consequences.

Convicted about that, I met with him soon after to explain my interest was solely for entertainment. He didn’t preach to me, but left me with a simple observation: “When you read those books, are they pointing you toward the Lord – or away from Him?”

I didn’t have to think deeply about the question, because I knew the answer. They certainly weren’t serving to enhance my spiritual growth, and I realized that even though I was reading fiction, I had already learned far more about the occult and its practices than anyone needed to know.

That moment I resolved to put aside my “fun” reading and slam the door on influences, some very subtle, that could draw me away from my faith, still in its infancy. In Romans 12:2 we’re told, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Even though the surrounding culture was telling me – and still proclaims today – that there’s nothing wrong with a little scare now and then, I knew it could be an obstacle to the transforming work God wanted to do in my life.

Another passage elaborates: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). It’s been decades since I gave up reading a scary book or viewed any horror movies that Hollywood is so fond of pumping out. But I still remember they contained little, if anything that was true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.

So, let me suggest: This Halloween, if you plan to take part in any festivities, I hope you’ll be doing as some of my children or grandchildren have done – dress as a banana, or a monkey, or even as a pancake syrup bottle. That way, you’ll have no ghostly idea how more sinister elements of the day could affect you.

Doing the Halloween Thing

Saturday marks our annual Halloween observance – a rather peculiar holiday, if you ask me. On one level it’s simple fun, children wearing costumes of princesses, scarecrows, animals and cartoon characters visiting the homes of friends, collecting candy in response to an innocent “Trick or Treat.” Even adults join the frivolity, going to Halloween parties dressed as favorite politicians, entertainers or historical figures.

On another level, Halloween has a more sinister side populated by “denizens of the dark.” Historians report the event has both pagan and religious roots, but it’s hardly considered a Christian celebration in any sense. Viewed by some as a “festival of the dead,” according to various web sources, days leading up to Halloween emphasize the occult, feeding off America’s strange fascination with the supernatural, as evidenced by Harry Potter books, the Twilight vampire series, and any number of films about vampires, ghosts and zombies.

(Even everyday traditions, like Ohio State’s “O-H-I-O,” can take a Halloween twist, as the photo I borrowed from the Columbus Dispatch shows.)

Our preoccupation with death, I suppose, is merely a part of life. Everyone has a beginning – and an end. For many people, the uncertainty – and anxiety – concerns the part at the end. That’s why murder mysteries sell so well, why forensics dramas dominate TV…and why we read the daily obituaries. Rich or poor, male or female, young or old, death is our unavoidable common denominator.

This is one reason I find great comfort in Bible passages like the following:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).