Focus on the good of the season
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
— Romans 12:21 (NIV)
When I called my granddaughter, she informed me she was on her way to take the kids to her church’s “Trunk or Treat” celebration.
She expressed she was a bit disheartened because her husband told her Halloween was an evil holiday and Christians shouldn’t celebrate it.
I told her that has been debated by the different Christian denominations for years. Over the years, there have been times I’ve struggled with that too. As I researched, I have come to my own personal conviction.
Halloween had its beginnings in the pagan religions. They started the tradition to celebrate the harvest and wore scary costumes to ward off what they believed were ghosts and spirits that were harming their crops. Kind of like a scarecrow effect. Over the years, as others became involved, it evolved in evil beliefs and rituals. (You can research it yourself).
Early Christian officials tried to ward off the pagan tradition of the holiday, and win others to the faith, by imposing their own rendition of the holiday, naming it All Hallows Eve, which eventually became Halloween. This is the evening before Nov. 1, when the church chose to celebrate martyrs and saints of the faith. To this day, some churches participate in Halloween and others don’t due to its pagan roots.
Since my childhood, I enjoyed the fun of Halloween parties and trick-or-treating and wearing costumes of things I’d dreamed of becoming. However, there was always a part of my spiritual side that noticed the theme of good vs. evil.
As I carried my bag from door-to-door looking to collect my loot, I noticed, at times, someone would drop a Christian booklet in my bag; no candy, just a message. In the following years, I avoided those places because there weren’t any goodies.
As an adult, there were times I celebrated with giving out messages. Other times I participated with candy and costumes or I abstained.
Coming to embrace my faith and spiritual maturity, I now believe it’s a time to evangelize for Christ. One year I wrote the name “Holy Ghost” on the stomach of a light-up ghost and put in on my porch to acquaint others with the Holy Ghost. I also believe in giving out messages with candy to show our generosity and have a greater impact on our message.
Since God judges the motives of our hearts, each one of us has to follow our own convictions whether to participate or not, and why and how we celebrate. But I believe whatever we choose, we should make it a time to evangelize and promote the savior who loves the world and overcomes evil with good.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.