Since We Are Surrounded

by Elise M. Cormode

A favorite topic of Christians these days appears to be Halloween. Every year, some time after Labor Day, the voices start again. "The observance is evil, pagan, demonic and Christians should have nothing to do with it; do you want to know why? Do you want to know details?" How ironic it is that a people would be so preoccupied with what they profess to hate. We cannot bring every thought captive to Christ's Lordship by focusing on evil. In fact, such focus aids those who would remove every vestige of Christianity from our culture. The truth is Halloween has Christian traditions which should be emphasized rather than trying to ignore the entire affair.

All Hallows' is the old British name for All Saints' Day, which is a festival honoring the memory of all the faithful Christians who went before us. Hallowe'en is a contraction of "All Hallows' Eve." All Saints' Day is celebrated on May 13 in many parts of the world, but since the time of Gregory III (A.D. 731) it has been observed on November 1 in the West. Many in recent years have suggested that the festival was instituted to offset a pagan festival of the dead held at the end of October. However, this cannot be because, a) it was originally celebrated in May, and b) the festival it is said to replace, Samhaim, was observed in Britain and Gaul (what is now northern France), but All Saints' Day began in Rome. Some say Gregory moved the day to help the British Christians, but in 731, there was virtually no contact between Rome and Britain. The only Roman celebration in October was a civic holiday honoring returning soldiers held on the 15th. It is only by unfortunate coincidence that the day Gregory chose was a pagan festival, 2000 miles north in Celtic territory.

Originally the festival now known as All Saints' Day was set aside as a remembrance of all the martyrs who died for the sake of Christ. Gradually it broadened to be a celebration of all the saints who died faithful, whose lives were a testimony of the love of God. Our fellowship has rejected the reverence of "saints," as the Catholic Church understands the word, out of a justified fear of misplaced worship, but the idea of All Saints' Day is a Biblical one. It is the theme of Hebrews chapter 11, where the writer points to example after example of godly men and women as models of faith for us.

What, then, is the modern American Christian to do about Halloween? The observance of the day is not limited to those who practice witchcraft, rather it is a prevalent part of our culture that we cannot responsibly ignore. The popular response among churches in recent years has been the "Halloween Alternative." Some balk at even the use of the name "Halloween" and call their October 31 party a "Fall Festival" or something similar, but the concept is the same: keep the kids from participating in trick-or-treating or pulling pranks, the obvious Halloween activities. This is a step in the right direction, but it is problematic because it does not address the root problem of Halloween; it merely functions as a distraction. Often from the kids point of view, they are having Halloween at the fellowship hall instead of on the street. It is as though the church were mirroring the world. We are not called to do that.

A second response, advocated by a great many parents, is to ignore Halloween either by simply turning off the porch light and pretending not to be home, or by taking the family out somewhere. Again, the idea is to avoid trick-or-treating. This is a better solution since it breaks completely with the modern interpretation of Halloween, but it still fails to teach or impact our surrounding culture. There are times to retreat from the world; this is not one of them. We are called to be salt and light and that mission must start in our own churches.

Therefore, it is time to reclaim All Saints' Day and its eve. Bearing in mind Paul's reminder that no observance of special days will have any affect on our salvation and that we cannot judge others on their choice of observed days, set aside the day to remember the heros of the faith. This has its advantages. Memorial holidays are a part of nearly all human cultures. They help us recall the important things in our lives. As Americans we observe the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, as well as Memorial Day and Veterans' Day in honor of our nation's past. Good citizenship requires a sense of community and a common link with the past. How much more important is our citizenship in Heaven! Here, too, we need a sense of community and of the past. We may take our cue from Hebrews 11. The examples of faith past were intended to foster encouragement and spur the church to copy their examples. This is what the restoration of (not "alternative to") October 31 and November 1 should be.

To restore the day for God, a special service or program celebrating faith would be in order. Some churches already have such services. The program could include a worship service incorporating songs like "Faith of our Fathers" and "Find Us Faithful," which would look both at the past and the future. This could be followed by a dramatic presentation, a musical, or a cantata about a Biblical character, an early Christian martyr, or a missionary. A missions fair would also be appropriate for this celebration of faith. A costume party could still be held, but be careful to avoid having a party only; that fails to teach or add to the sence of remembrance. Instead, ask everyone to come as a saint of old, either from the Bible, or from the past 1900 years of church history. Tell them that they need to be prepared to explain who the character is and what he or she did. Close the program with a prayer concert. Praise God for His enduring faithfulness. Thank Him for giving us godly examples. Ask for the strength and discipline to bring every thought under the Lordship of Christ and the boldness to live our Christian lives unhindered.

To actively remember that "we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses," as Hebrews 12:1 tells us will helps us "throw of everything that hinders" and "run with perseverance the race marked out for us."