So, is Halloween today ‘evil’? Sure it is, if it involves the
glorification (or, worse, the trivialization) of things satanic, and
playing nasty pranks on neighbours who simply forgot to pick up a bag of
sweets earlier in the day.
Beyond that, a community dress-up involving
opening our doors to each other and giving sweets to kids in fancy dress
is a lovely idea. It might even build friendships in a society hungry
for community.
For my part, I am sad that Halloween no longer has much to do with
honouring the faithful departed and learning from their example. But
that shouldn’t stop believers from making it so. The Anglican Book of
Common Prayer of 1662 has the perfect Halloween prayer: “And we also
bless thy holy Name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith
and fear; beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good
examples, that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom.”
One last thing. I’m not sure that Christmas in the wider Australian
context is any more pleasing to the Almighty? If there are grades of
sins, I reckon the Aussie worship at the shopping mall in the build up
to Christmas and the consequent neglect of the poor until we’ve paid off
the credit card are much more ‘satanic’ than allowing our kids to dress
up as goblins. And what is a goblin, anyway? Read more
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