Christians and Halloween

Last Monday, in the question of the week, I asked whether or not it is okay for Christians to celebrate Halloween.I believe this picture answers my question...Really though, there are a lot of difficult decisions we will face as believers. Unfortunately, unless it is directly addressed in Scripture, the answer isn't always cut and dry. When it comes to Halloween, I personally believe that it is a great way to meet your neighbors and let your kids be kids. Obviously there are aspects of Halloween that go too far, and we as believers need to truly examine ourselves and our participation in those things. On the other hand, by running away from Halloween because of some of the connotations of evil that go along with it, we make our God seem small.The big question we need to ask ourselves is what are our motivations in choosing what we choose. Maybe there is a history of the occult in your family, or some other thing within your past that makes it unwise to participate in Halloween. If that's the case, then listen to conscience. Maybe Halloween, along with decorating the front porch with spider webs and jack-o-lanterns, is a big part of your neighborhood and participating in it is a great way to engage in your community. Then go all out.However, as my Dad talks about in his blog post, we don't want our decision to be motivated by fear. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Our God is bigger and more powerful than anything Halloween can dish out. So with that in mind, I say, grab your pillowcases and costumes, collect your candy, remember our great God in heaven, and have a Happy Halloween!