Halloween is an interesting study and has been a topic of much debate for Christians through the years. As opposed to many of the other events on our annual calendar that celebrate virtues that we love (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother's & Father's Day, et al.), Halloween is quite the opposite. So what do we do with Halloween?
We do a couple of intentional things at Freedom that have helped us leverage this cultural phenomenon and not let it become a point of dissension.
First, we honour and respect each other's varying responses to Halloween. If it is your conviction to not participate in any way with it, I certainly understand and value that.
Second, we try to find ways to use what the culture is already involved in as an opportunity to do something we're not great at: get to know our neighbours. Learning the stories of the people that live around us is becoming less and less common. We tend to have a laser focus on our own lives and schedules and errands and carpools that we struggle to even know the names of the people who share a fence with us.
Of course, some people are the exception to this rule and we have a lot that we could learn from them. But for the rest of us, we can be encouraged to be much more strategic about how we care for the people who God has planted us with.
And so, with that in mind we try and lean in and go the extra mile on October 31st when the parents and kids of our neighbourhoods all walk the streets at the same time. Because, when else does that happen? We invite our church families to open their doors and to go the extra mile with a cup of hot chocolate to give us a chance to pause, shake a hand, learn a name and maybe start a relationship.
No, it's not evangelism. But I'm sure you'll agree that it's easier to share Christ with someone you know. So hey, here's a chance to share light and kindness during an event that celebrates what's dark and fearful.
I'm praying that in everything we do, before, during and after Thursday, we will always be the ones who shine a light in dark places.
See you on Sunday,
Pastor Tracy
This Sunday
FAQs of Jesus
”Do You Love Me?”
Join us on Sunday at 10am as our Pastor Erin continues in our series.