What do you think about Halloween? Some Christians think it’s just fun and good times. Some Christians think it’s downright devilish. To help answer this question, I polled a handful of Christians, including pastors, theologians, authors, teachers, new Christians, strict Christians, loose Christians, and a bunch in between. The replies were fascinating. Here are a few of them.<\/p>\n
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Chances are, you can find your preferred position somewhere in the options above. To sum it up, there are three main ways that Christians approach Halloween.<\/p>\n
When we look at the Bible, we see anything but a reclusive approach to the world (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Jesus associated with religious prudes, right-wing fanatics, abject swindlers, disease-infested cripples, and well-known prostitutes (See Matthew 21:31; Luke 7:36-39). Christ\u2019s disciples engaged the culture (Matthew 10:16). Early Christians grappled redemptively with the contemporary culture instead of rejecting every aspect of it (1 Cor 9:19-23; 10:23, 33). Before He left, Jesus gave His disciples a promise and a command. He said, \u201cI give you power and authority. I am with you. Now, go. Be my witnesses\u201d (paraphrased – Matthew 28:18-19; Acts 1:8, c.f. 2 Timothy 1:7).<\/p>\n
The retreat of Christians from culture and life is diametrically opposed to Christ’s command to be witnesses (Acts 1:8; John 17:11). When Christians run from such opportunities rather than redeem them, we surrender to the advances of the enemy. We give up opportunity. We forsake our mandate to make disciples.<\/p>\n
Is this running away appropriate? Do we retreat in other areas? Should we shun ministry in the gospel-starved ghettos of the intercity? Should we abandon church planting efforts in malaria-infested overseas missions? Should we neglect this needy world in order to maintain tidy bastions of Christian safety?<\/p>\n
\u201cCelebrating\u201d Halloween does not mean engaging in all the negativity\u2014gore, witchcraft, Snickers gluttony, whatever. Gospel living is strong enough to defeat, let alone withstand, the less-than-wholesome aspects of Halloween celebrations. The presence of evil in the world, regardless of how it shows up, should not intimidate the believer from engaging in redeeming opportunities for the sake of the gospel.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s happening on your street? Is demonism creeping over your neighborhood? Are people being seduced into the sordid cesspools of witchcraft and Satan worship?<\/p>\n
Maybe.<\/p>\n
But maybe not. Something good is happening on Halloween night. There is an opportunity. People are coming to your door. Or, you\u2019re going to theirs. This is an opportunity to meet them. To start relationships. To be kind, to love, to share, to rejoice. To redeem an opportunity for Christ.<\/p>\n
Why would you refuse it?<\/p>\n
Perhaps the whole issue, then, is not whether or not Christians should \u2018celebrate\u2019 it, but how<\/em>. There is a better option than hiding in your basement. This Halloween, go on mission, and demonstrate the love of Christ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What do you think about Halloween? Some Christians think it’s just fun and good times. Some Christians think it’s downright devilish. To help answer this question, I polled a handful of Christians, including pastors, theologians, authors, teachers, new Christians, strict Christians, loose Christians, and a bunch in between. The replies were fascinating. Here are a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[2307,4154],"tags":[1444,1448,1447,1446,1445,1443,1449],"class_list":{"0":"post-6606","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christian-lifestyle","8":"category-church-resources-church-resources","9":"tag-christian-halloween","10":"tag-christian-halloween-celebration","11":"tag-church-halloween","12":"tag-halloween-celebration","13":"tag-halloween-for-christians","14":"tag-should-christians-celebrate-halloween","15":"tag-trick-or-treat"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/halloween.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n