Putting the “Hallow” Back in Halloween

Every year, many of my Christian brothers and sisters like to remind the world to put the Christ back in Christmas.

 

There’s no doubt that Christmas has become heavily commercialized and we do easily forget about the Christ in Christmas, but somehow that little baby in the manger always seems to come to mind for even the humbuggiest* among us –usually right about the time the “Silent Night” pierces our cold, cold hearts on Christmas Eve.

 

But what about the “hallow” in “Halloween?” 

 

The word “hallow” means “holy.” When we pray, “Hallowed be thy name,” we are acknowledging and stating that God’s name is holy. Halloween was originally tied to the evening (e’en) before we acknowledged all the holy people (martyrs, saints, and faithful Christians) who had gone to heaven. Over the course of many, many years people came up with a long list of really weird practices in observance of this holiday –including hollowing out turnips, putting a candle in the butchered vegetable, and carrying it around to represent the soul of a dead person.

 

Yes, that’s the origin of  the jack-o-lantern. 

 

At this point in history, Halloween looks nothing like anything that brings glory to the risen, living Savior of the World. With all the death, horror, and outright nastiness associated with this most macabre of “holidays,” it looks a lot more like a celebration straight out of the kingdom of darkness than anything a “real” Christian would allow themselves to be associated with. I’m tempted to give it all a hearty humbug and sulk away somewhere to pout in a fit of self-righteousness and asceticism.

 

Which is, somehow, I think exactly what the enemy of my soul would want.

 

Jesus is still LORD. Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil. There is no body on the cross and the tomb is empty. He LIVES and He is victorious! HALLELUJAH!

 

So, why is the devil allowed to run rampant on October 31 every year?

 

When Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, He started with this sentence from Matthew 28:18:

 

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. “

 

Now, if Jesus has been given ALL authority in heaven and earth, exactly how much power and authority does that leave the enemy of our souls? Isn’t the devil’s power limited only to what God allows as we see in the Book of Job? (See Job 2:6) Isn’t God almighty, omniscient, totally in control, and far more powerful and wise than Satan? 

 

Whatever happens in this life, we have the choice between good and evil. We can be crabby, sourpuss, baptized-in-pickle-juice Christians or we can be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (See Galatians 5:22-23)

 

So, when that child in the scary costume shows up at our door, each of us has the choice of dropping a hellfire and brimstone Bible tract with a scowl in his or her treat bag, or the biggest, tastiest, nicest, anti-humbuggiest hunk of candy they have ever seen. 

 

It’s our choice. 

 

Whether the world responds by slinging toilet paper and eggs at our houses or finds itself with a desire to come back for more is up to us.

 

 

 

Today’s Praise

Matthew 28:20b

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NLT)

 

*I know “humbuggiest” isn’t technically a word, but it should be.