Well boys and girls, we finally made it! The relentless marketing of Halloween that seems to have begun months ago finally reaches its peak this evening. Whew! Yes, my friends, this is the day when it becomes socially acceptable for otherwise mature adults to don a full-size onesie or the costume and makeup of a fearless superhero in the name of becoming someone/something we want to be instead of who we actually are for the night…AND you get barraged with candy for doing it!! This is the day when as a society, we single-handedly finance the confectionery industry and dentistry profession for the foreseeable future…just for the fun of it! In fact, even as you are reading this, there are many who, in eager anticipation of tonight’s festivities, will stand around the office today, grazing on all the fun-sized candy bars they can ingest from everyone else’s desk but their own 😊, chattering about what they and their kids will be doing once the sun goes down.
Tonight, our streets and church parking lots are set to be overrun by thousands of all-too-cute princesses, heroic ninjas, courageous warriors, and the most adorable kitty cats you ever did see! For what though?? Of course you remember…an orange plastic pumpkin candy bucket overflowing with chocolatey treasure (no pretzels or Bit-o-Honey, please)…a joyously overwhelming spectacle moms and dads pay particular attention to, anticipating an informal chocolate-infused “date night” of sorts once their child passes out, leaving their loot unguarded. It’s ok… I’m a father of four myself…I get it. No judgment here!
As you enjoy yourselves this evening though, don’t unknowingly get lost in the spirituality of the holiday or what it historically commemorates. Unfortunately, there are so many who will don costumes celebrating that which is evil, proudly personifying and displaying distorted and degraded caricatures of humanity alongside imaginative and symbolic forms of all things dark and scary. I’ll admit…it’s way too easy to fall in line with those things because fallen imagery IS Halloween. BUT for many, that sinister legacy directly opposes what others believe is simply an innocent and fun opportunity for kids (and yes, even adults) to enjoy the common experience of pretending to be something even more HEROIC, COURAGEOUS, and GOOD than they already are…not to mention, you get to bathe in the blessed contents of candy wrappers for your trouble.
Understand that even though we are armed with the freedom to engage in Halloween in any way we wish, we still very much shoulder the responsibility to represent and honor God in front of all we encounter at our front door, the trunk of our car, or in visiting the front step of someone’s house, regardless of what the rest of the world may be endorsing. Give it some thought, friends…enjoy your day and be safe!!
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