This is Halloween (be the jack o'lantern)

Grant & I, Halloween 2000?

 Imported holidays/traditions are interesting because they force me to evaluate not only what is normal, but what is right (the church jury is still out on the Easter egg debate, but if it’s chocolate, it must be right). I’d heard ‘Halloween is of the devil’ just enough times around here to get me thinking and involve my English class in the discussion of whether a Christian can celebrate the 31st.

Here’s where the discussion might get interesting: I celebrate Halloween. Pragmatically, I like candy, costumes, pumpkins, small adorable children wandering my neighborhood, and homemade donuts. Theologically, I find it redemptively in-line with the Christian ideals of generosity, interaction with the little ones, and a way to mockingly take death down a notch: light shines in the darkness brighter than any jack-o’lantern and Christ has defeated death forever...

BOO!

"Let's raise a cry against Halloween

Unfortunately, all of these reasons are likely to get lost under the shock of “how dare you?” I’ve never taken this reaction too seriously (after all, it’s been used in my family not too many generations ago to prohibit movies, makeup, or pants). I ponder this while I scroll past “protest Halloween” memes from here and Harvest party announcements from there: both from equally sincere believers with a similarly deep and real relationship with Jesus and- let’s face it- who probably coincide about 98% on doctrinal and theological matters. 

Church Harvest Party

What’s the difference, then?

I’m convinced it’s mostly contextual and cultural. When holidays hop continents, some aspects get lost and added. The innocence and community of the Halloween I grew up with gets lost in translation somewhere, and all that trickles through are horror movies and dark pumpkins. Christians here, being the generally conservative and reactionary group that we are, tend to reject it, and in that rejection, even demonize it.

It’s not wrong to reject a cultural practice- Christians have been doing that for centuries when they decided that it was not in line with their faith in their context to participate in the Coliseum, alcohol, nightclubs, or makeup. These rejections, however, should not define their faith (“Church-of-Jesus-who-turned-water-into-grape-juice” just doesn’t have a transcendent ring to it).

Christianity has always been a bit out of step with culture- and that’s part of its intrigue. A person who participates in a kingdom that’s “now and not yet” isn’t always going to go along with her culture’s status quo; someone who pledges allegiance to another King can’t heil Hitler or Obama or Cristina; someone who is awaiting a great banquet isn’t going to stuff himself with holiday candies. The conservatives are right when they say that light and darkness don’t mix.

Last year's jack o'lantern:
light in the Americas

But the light and darkness to have to touch at some point. There is no use in lighting a jack o’lantern and keeping it inside a well-lit kitchen. The light must shine in the darkness out on the front steps, finding places to illuminate. The light shines with redemption’s love.

However you celebrate or protest tomorrow, do so as light.

The light shines in the darkness; the darkness has not understood it and will not overcome it

-John 1:5