It’s OK for Christians to Enjoy Halloween

Never mind that for the vast majority of people walking around outside, Halloween is just a fun reason to get out, hang out, and dress the kids up—we’ve heard that Satanists revere this day more than any other and therefore it is inherently bad and we must do our Christian duty and shun the day entirely. Meanwhile the world continues to spin and everyone else has a good time, and you lose another chance to talk to someone living right next to you.

There is also another thought process among Christians that I find strange, and that is the notion that somehow if you are in proximity of something that is “evil”, the evilness of that something is going to jump on you and somehow taint you.

I remember coming back from various trips filming for my movies, and I would tell people about how we filmed with witch doctors or in occult situations, and how it was obvious that those people were actively trying to curse us or mess with us spiritually.

But of course God overcame all and did a wondrous work while we filmed. And instead of celebrating the power and wonder of God, all they wanted to do was make sure they prayed to “get any critters off” me that might have attached themselves to us while we were there. But of course I didn’t have any “critters” on me because I have the light of the world inside of me, and light drives away darkness.

What you believe will always be your reality. So if you think that the devil is going to jump on you, then you believe that he is in some situations stronger than God’s protection, and, well, yeah, he’s probably going to jump on you. But if you know the God inside of you has already conquered the world, then you will be a terror to darkness wherever you go.

We are often quick to impose the response of Jesus’ admonition to “be in the world but not of it” to situations like Halloween. But I don’t think Jesus was talking about not engaging with the world on its own terms, because that is precisely what He did all the time. He would engage the biggest sinners of his day in their own homes or on their own turf, and whenever he encountered the demonic He would shoo it away like a pesky fly. The darkness was never his focus; people were.

At the end of the day, I realize that everyone has different reasons for doing or not doing something, and I respect everyone’s decisions based on their own conscience. But if you are avoiding something out of fear or stubborn bias, I would encourage you to prayerfully ask God about your conviction.

Is it truly from Him, or might it be from your own upbringing or fears placed on you by others? For some who have come out of extremely dark places, there is a trigger on this night that is probably best left alone. But for many Christians, we consider our separation from the rest of society who needs Jesus as a kind of badge of honor, when in reality it’s just Christians acting like a bunch of weirdos in the eyes of the very world we’re called to reach.

We recently moved to Greenville, South Carolina, and my wife and I got into a discussion with a friend of ours. The subject of Halloween came up and he mentioned that they didn’t really celebrate it, but did the whole Harvest Festival thing at church instead.

But when he learned that it was something our family enjoyed, he did what very few people do: he said that if it meant a lot to us, then he wanted to join us trick-or-treating this year. It was an act of love that said, “If this means something to you, then I want to try to learn why and be your friend even if I don’t understand it all.” And it mirrored a larger perspective of what we are called to as Christians. It isn’t always about “right or wrong”, it’s about people. It’s about displaying His love on the earth to them. Love is active, not passive. It does not shrink back, but is always advancing, never retreating. It doesn’t hide to protect itself, but risks itself and engages with others. It is always other focused.

If you still need a spiritual reason to engage in Halloween, how about this: instead of shutting your doors and turning off your lights, join the rest of your neighborhood as a normal person, and each house your children go up to, say a silent prayer for the people there.

Pray for your neighbors. Bless them. Bless each child who comes to your door dressed like a princess or a superhero or a zombie. It’s the one day of the year where children who need Jesus will actually be knocking on YOUR door. The least we can do is provide them with the best candy in the neighborhood and a prayer or blessing that no one else may ever give them.

We’re not called to run from Halloween. We’re called to redeem it.

*To find out more about Darren’s films, or to order his brand new movie, Holy Ghost Reborn, visit www.wpfilm.com.