Trick or Truth? You Decide!

Can light and darkness coexist for the bettering of a holiday filled with witches, vampires and death? Is Halloween all bad, or are parts of it redeemable?

The Halloween season seemed to hit stores in the U.S. as early as August this year. There has been no shortage of every decoration imaginable. Most interestingly, I’ve even seen some jack-o’-lanterns with crosses carved in for the eyes with the claim that you can let “Jesus’ light shine through this holiday season.”

We must ask, is that even possible?

A choice

From the very beginning, God gave us a choice. He said, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Life and death were laid before the children of Israel as a choice. They didn’t have the option of combining them. God showed very plainly that choosing life would lead to blessing; and alternatively, choosing the way of death would lead to a curse.

If God expects us to choose one or the other way of life, we cannot represent Him by carving crosses in a lighted pumpkin, part of a very pagan ritual. Having children dress up as princesses instead of vampires is only a sugarcoating. It still points to death.

Take a walk through any neighborhood in America at this season, and you will see death in the form of tombstones, skeletons, ghosts and much more. There is no doubt what this holiday stands for.

God of light

If God gave us a choice, He Himself must have a preference. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). This statement sums up what God reveals about His character. It is meant to comfort us! It shows we can trust that He has our best interest at heart because He is not the God of haunted houses, evil spirits and demon-filled movies, which abound at this time of year! They are not from the God of light whom we serve! There isn’t even a little of that darkness in Him.

Therefore, trying to mix the God of light into a night meant to scare and frighten is not only impossible, it is blasphemous to God.

Shining our light

Yet it is true that Christ encouraged us to let our light shine among men and not to hide the truth. If we seek to follow that command, how will we appear to others?

• We will be different. We cannot change the world by being just like it. Christ has called us to be transformed (Romans 12:2) so that we can understand what is good and acceptable to our Father. People will notice that we are different. For starters, our houses will not be covered in fake spider webs and signs of death. Our example alone will speak volumes.
• We will have an answer. Being different will likely bring questions. So we need to be ready to briefly explain why, as Christians, we choose to stay away from the dark side represented by Halloween. If we don’t know how to explain ourselves, the light will not shine as bright. Read our article “Halloween: Should Christians Celebrate It?” for some practical understanding of this holiday’s origins.

Whether it’s Halloween or just an average day, we should shine the true light of God, properly representing who He reveals Himself to be. We cannot custom fit it to our worldly desires. As Paul instructs in Ephesians 5:8, we are to “walk as children of light.”

Sarah Henderson and her husband, Andrew, attend the Columbus/Cambridge, Ohio, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.