Thursday, October 31, 2013

Halloween

Here in the United States, we have a "holiday" of sorts today. Halloween. The History Channel website has this as a description:

"Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats."
Christians tend to not like or "celebrate" Halloween. They say it is wrong and against God's teachings. When I attended a traditional church, I just believed what I heard from the pulpit and denied my children trick or treating in my neighborhood.
When we leave home to attend a "Christian" fall festival event, with our church family that may or may not reach the community, we are just isolating ourselves. We aren't meeting our neighbors. 
Jesus said the two greatest commands were to "Love God with all of your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22: 36-40)
Are you really loving your neighbors when you leave for a church event? Think about it.

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