Trick or Treat

by Tim Howard

We’re coming upon two very important days of the year. Halloween–when we scare people for fun, and Election Day–when we scare people for real. Let’s not talk about the elections! Let’s focus on Halloween.

Retailers love Halloween. Maybe it’s because their cash registers are receiving an average of $75 to $80 per household in decorations, costumes, candy, and greeting cards. I’ve read that Halloween will bring in approximately $8 billion this year.

Halloween is almost exclusively an American secular holiday and many who celebrate have no concept of its religious origins or pagan heritage. The roots of this holiday are connected to the remembrance of those who were martyred for their faith in Christ and the confrontation with indigenous pagan rituals found in Europe years and years ago.

The Celtic people of Europe and Britain were pagan Druids whose major focus was on the dark side of life. Their imagery of death–symbolized by skeletons, skulls, and the color black–remains prominent in today's Halloween celebrations and is a personification of an evil presence.

Many of the costumes chosen to wear on Oct. 31–Unknowingly are connected to a long history. You will see children dressed as villains, gangsters, hoodlums, zombies and many other outfits that represent the dark and evil side of life. On the other hand, many kids will dress as Superman, Spiderman and a plethora of other characters to represent those who stand for good! You may even see some Princes and Princesses!

I was brought up in a family that viewed life through Christian lenses and understood that every holiday is significant in some way. Many who hold to this same view of life refuse to participate in Halloween. Some are wary of its pagan origins; others of its dark, ghoulish imagery and still others are concerned for the safety of their children.

My parents didn’t forbid us to join in on the celebration but they did use Halloween to teach us about the battle between good and evil because they understood the origins. They told us that evil is real and is made up of witches, demons and the Devil. They also said there is a very real world in which good triumphs over evil–made up of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and those who follow Him.

They went on to say: “We are a family that stands for good and as we enjoy Halloween we will be dressing in such a way that good is exalted over evil.”

Years later I realized they had made a decision like Joshua in the Old Testament, when he said: “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

The Apostles Paul said: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” In other words–You don’t need to fear evil or run from darkness–you overcome it by doing good.

Jesus has conquered death, hell and the grave! Therefore, while talking about ghosts and goblins, witches and warlocks is anything but fantasy–there is no need to fear or retreat–because Jesus is the victor.

Jesus said to his followers–you are a light in the world that shines in the midst of darkness and can actually diffuse that darkness if you shine. Simply put: The darker the night–the brighter the light! 

I will enjoy Halloween with my grandson and will probably eat too much of ‘his’ candy–but not without encouraging him to be a light in darkness and giving him some history on this holiday.

You're That Good, Really?

by Andrew Cromwell

I am constantly amazed by how much time and effort we spend at trying to convince others and ourselves that we are good people.

You might believe you really are a good person and that you have put others at the center of your life. People are always telling me, “I’ve always tried to be a good person and I’ve never done anything really bad.” And while I don’t doubt that, I also know that it is beside the point.

Just because you have tried to be good, doesn’t mean that you actually are good. What’s more, just because you don’t go around killing, stealing, or generally being a thug, that doesn’t mean you are not a self-centered, self-obsessed, royal jerk. It just means that you are good at comparing yourself with someone else whose behaviors are more “over the line” than yours.

We give ourselves far too much credit for not doing the “bad stuff” while at the same time giving ourselves a pass for bad behavior that we believe was justified. Very few of us have been tested to the breaking point so we don’t really know what we are capable of.

We are proud that we haven’t stolen anything, but we have never gone hungry or watched our children go hungry. We feel good that we are not hooked on pain meds, but we have never suffered from chronic pain.

And somehow we find a way to excuse ourselves when we do something wrong. We tell ourselves that we deserved that little indulgence or that anyone in our situation would have done the same thing.

Let’s just be honest, none of us are that good. Scripture says, “No one is good, not even one.” All of our attempts to be good are just that—attempts. Even the best of us, if you look closely enough, wither under scrutiny.

My point is not to make you feel bad about how much of a jerk you are (although you are). Rather, it is to simply remind you that when we go through life trying to “be good” we miss the point. God isn’t looking for people who are trying to “be good”—if that is your goal, not only will you fail, but you will also simply become proud at the few times when you do succeed.

Instead, God is looking for people who recognize that they aren’t good and are unable to be good and so they turn to Him for help. Romans 3:22 says, “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.” Our own goodness won’t get us anywhere, but God’s goodness sure will. When we allow Him to shine through our weakness, our self-centeredness and our excuses, we discover that His power to love others and to live rightly is the only way to truly succeed.

This weekend, the pastors in Kings County would love the opportunity to help you get past the “but I’m better than...” comparisons and step into a new power to walk with God and live according to His purposes. Don’t knock it until you try it.