The Halloween To-Do

Two weeks ago, the pendulum was still swinging over my Halloween proclivities; it had pretty much swung back to the notion that it is probably best if the church ignores it.

That is what my childhood church did about Halloween—nothing. Trick-or-treating was a secular thing; its hours and patrols were run by the local government. During my elementary years in public school, a Halloween celebration usually included a couple creepy stories, an art project, and a classroom costume party after the final recess. The room mothers kindly gave us real sugar cookies and did not try to 'trick' us into more healthful eating by 'treating' us with carrot sticks. (I heard all the politically correct places are doing that now.)

In my high school, observation of the holiday was nonexistent outside hallway chatter. Perhaps the administration felt that keeping it off campus would minimize the destruction of school property; who knows? Some years the community theater raised funds by haunting a local building and charging for the tour. I went to a Quaker College, and if the Society of Friends has an official position on Halloween, it was not made known.

Life moved on and the next thing I heard as a young adult was that Halloween was suddenly Evil. The bob had changed directions; Halloween was a pagan holiday and anyone who celebrated it was dabbling in the occult—or worse.

The church community was having alternative Halloween activities thinly disguised as Harvest Festivals. The kids 'harvested' candy. In hindsight, I think that was a horrible idea. There were standard announcements from the pulpit in those days: Bring in your donations of candy because we don't want our Christian kids to be left out. OK folks, what is wrong with that theology? Hint: The pretense of having an alternative was to avoid worldly things, and with the exception of dark chocolate, candy accrual is pretty worldly.

Further proof of worldliness infiltrating the alternatives is that the celebration of Reformation Day never caught on. This October 31^st anniversary of Martin Luther nailing it in Wittenberg ought to be a day of celebration for the Protestant church. To bad old Marty wasn't known for giving away sweets.

With a half century of thought on the matter, the pendulum swung back and I had decided that Halloween is a secular holiday, no matter how it is handled.

Then I found this:

Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
Isaiah 26:19

Now, isn't that just about the coolest thing ever? I think the pendulum finally struck 'dead' center.

This statement, originally addressed to collective Israel, was metaphorical as it addressed her deliverance from exile and the restoration of the nation; it can be literal as it applies to the near and coming end times. Better still, a literal interpretation goes world wide.

Metaphorical support: Ezekiel 37: 1-14, valley of the dry bones
Literal support: Daniel 12:2, "Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake – some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence."

Secular All Hallow's Eve: Boo!
God's All Hallow's Eve: Woo-hoo!