.gif)
October is the month when we celebrate Halloween—or not. When I was a young Christian wife and mother, our church culture discouraged involvement in Halloween because it was associated with evil. My wise and thoughtful husband took the position that our children would be different enough because of our family faith without withdrawing them from Halloween activities. And I was happy to have the opportunity to love our neighbors by engaging with their children. Our daughter still complains about our stuffing her pumpkin costume with newspaper to give her a pumpkin shape before going out for trick-or-treating.
While some historians posit that Halloween has secular/pagan roots, many scholars believe that the celebration of All Hallows’ Day originates in Christianity and goes back in time to at least the 4th Century AD. This is the time the church set aside to honor believers who had died. This is why the day is also known as All Saints’ Day. And like other feast days, it was preceded by an evening vigil: All Hallows’ Eve.
My intent in writing is not to make a particular argument about the pros or cons of Halloween. I would prefer to use the celebration of All Hallows’ Day as a reminder that we would do well to remember the saints who have gone before us and thank God for their example and legacy. Our spiritual ancestors—from the apostles to St. Augustine to Martin Luther to Mother Teresa—are now part of the cloud of witnesses spoken of by the author of Hebrews. And of course the saints who have gone before us include not only (or even primarily) believers who are well known in history but also the lesser known and unrecognized. Many of us have believers in our family lines that have contributed to our own faith. This is a time for gratitude
All Hallows’ Eve and All Hallows’ Day also remind us that we are saints. As we live and walk in faith, we become the hands, feet, and voice of Christ, encouraging other believers and inviting nonbelievers to consider the Lord and Savior of the world. And then unless Christ returns first, we will die and become members of the cloud of witnesses celebrated on All Hallows’ Day.
