Halloween brings out all kinds of opinions from Christians and Churches. Is it good? Is it bad? Are we celebrating and inviting demons and dark spiritual forces? Should we trick-or-treat or trunk-or-treat?
Well... opinions are like belly buttons (Christian PG version)... everyone has them and they all stink. I care way less about what your pastor or your church's stance is on Halloween.
Instead, I want to encourage each one of us to seek the Spirit’s guidance and use spiritual discernment to thoughtfully answer this question:
Based on what we know about the character and nature of Jesus...
Considering who He spent time with, how He interacted with people who knew Him, and how He interacted with people who didn't know Him...
In my context, with my circle of influence, with the resources and opportunities avabilable to me...
What is the best way for me to embody the nature of Jesus and follow His example with the unique opportunities that Halloween provides?
Halloween Wars - Better Yet... Hallo-wars
Ditch 1 - High and Mighty Halloween
Some churches and christians get legalistic and judgmental.
Vocally critical of our culture
Rather than winning people over and bringing people closer to Jesus, they often come across as arrogant, self-righteous, and/or out of touch
Rather than taking advantage of one of the few nights per year their neighbors actually want them to say hi, churches in this camp often encourage their people to isolate, separate, or create a "Christian alternative"
Ditch 2 - High Pressure Halloween
On the other end of the spectrum, there are Christians and churches who want to go out and reach their neighbors
I tried when I was a pastor to get people to take advantage of Halloween as a way to be present, warm, and inviting to their neighbors.
To prayerfully look for ways to strike up a conversation, deepen a relationship, and get to know their neighbors better. If nothing else, to be able to pray for them
I think I placed too high of a pressure on myself, because I was trying to manufacture something. I was trying way too hard to make something happen
I never did this, but I have heard of people passing out invite cards to their church at Halloween, or turning Halloween into a marketing effort
Instead of putting so much pressure on the moment, what if we operated out of faith, not fear? What if we could just be present and available in the moment? Let God decide if He wants to create an opportunity or not.
So what should we do, then?
Well... the short answer is: it depends. I think too often we want someone to just tell us what to do or what to think. But not only does that short out your growth process... it often teaches the wrong message by offering one answer for all people and contexts.
Example: Trick-or-treating v. Trunk or Treating
For much of my life, I've had an adverse reaction to the idea of a Trunk-or-Treat. As a pastor, I thought, "If one of Jesus' greatest commandments is to love your neighbor, why on earth would we pull all of our people out of their neighborhoods while their neighbors are looking to connect with them on Halloween, so that they can hang out in our church parking lot?" That didn't make any sense to me. And in the context I grew up in, sometimes pastored in, and live in today... I would still agree with much of that sentiment.
But in one season of life, I moved out to a rural context where my nearest neighbor was over a half mile away. Much of our church lived in that context where walking door to door to trick-or-treat just wasn't feasible. And if our goal was to see and connect with people, that was one of the worst ways we could do it. Instead, the county held a Halloween celebration downtown in the county seat, where thousands of people would walk the streets and see each other.
Or what about other neighborhoods or contexts where the idea of "trick-or-treating" may not be safe, viable, or effective, for any number of reasons? In that context, a church being willing to open its doors or grounds to create a safe and welcoming space for families to connect through trunk-or-treating may create immense value for the community it is trying to serve.
Here's the point:
Rather than arguing over which one-size-fits-all approach everyone should be adopting, we should use Spirit-guided wisdom to discern the best way for us to embody the nature of God for our neighbors and loved ones on Halloween, based on our context and the resources uniquely available to us.
Maybe that sounds complicated or non-committal. Maybe so. But I would rather equip you to answer the question for yourself, rather than arrogantly assume that I know best and tell you what you should be doing.
Instead, let me give you some food for thought as you're prayerfully deciding what to do, this Halloween:
Who has God put into my circle of influence in this season of life? Where will they be?
One of the best resources I know about this is 8 to 15: The World is Smaller Than you Think by Tom Mercer
We all have trust and influence with a small circle of people - people who trust us most and spend the most time with us - our Circle of Influence. That is where living out the gospel is going to be most effective.
God brings people into and out of our Circle of Influence in different seasons of life. It's our responsibility to be intentional about naming and pouring into our Circle of Influence.
Where can I deepen my relationships with acquaintances, neighbors, and strangers?
Halloween is potentially the best night of the entire year to connect with people who you share proximity with, but have little to no relationship with.
How can you put yourself in a place where you might be able to deepen some of those connections and open the door to future relationships?
How do I speak VALUE to my community, culture, and/or the individuals around me? What simple joy can I give? What need can I meet?
The answer to that is going to vary, based on your context, your stage of life, and many other things. But have you ever tried to answer that question? Missionaries call this exegeting the culture.
What do they care about? What do they think is cool? What are their pain points? What are their dreams? What do they value most? Most importantly: Why is Jesus "good news" for them?
How can you speak the value of the culture to connect in meaningful ways with your community? And how should that inform how you should spend Halloween?
Clarification: Do NOT go into halloween trying to give people a sales pitch for Jesus or invite them to church the first time you meet them. Be present with people. Build relationships. Pray for opportunities, but don't force it. Play the long game.
Examples: Maybe you...
…Live in a neighborhood and you know it's going to be cold. So you put your firepit in the driveway and invite people to warm up by the fire and have a hot dog or a s'more. Ask them questions about them while you're sitting by the fire together. Don’t talk about you unless they ask.
…Know there's a family with kids with high needs who are not able to trick-or-treat. Or you have home bound neighbors. So you reverse trick-or-treat. You show up at their house and knock on the door to bring them (the kids and the adults) treats to let them know that they're loved and ask if they need anything else you can help with
Send out a letter ahead of time to communicate to your neighbors that you're open for trick or treating or invite them over open-house style at your house to give everyone a chance to get to know their neighbors
Serve at a community halloween event or a trunk or treat in an underserved area, if your context doesn't require you to be home that night
All of these are just ideas. They probably aren't great for your situation... but what is? Have you ever tried to thoughtfully answer that question?
Let's pray and discern how we can best make ourselves available to God and the people around us at this unique moment in our cultural calendar!
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