Man for All Seasons

Halloween strikes again!

There are those in the Christian community that have been roused to an uproar about how some believers should not participate in the festivities. After all -- they'd say -- these celebratory gatherings, gestures and gaieties are dedicated to the prince of darkness himself, and Christians should have nothing to do with that!

Rightly so! I am on board with what they are saying, being a fellow believer and all that. The powers and influence of darkness are certainly things we should never trifle with. In fact, the Bible says we have all been called out of darkness into His marvelous light. No reason we should go back in there if we've already left it.

However, I want to present an idea that's been rumbling about in my mind for quite some time now. Paul, the Apostle, got the wheels in my head turning when he said:

"To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:20-22 NIV)

The idea I have is to integrate myself with the people who celebrate Halloween, without having to necessarily agree with everything being lauded during the season.

You see, people usually have costume parties and such on All Hallow's Eve to mark the event. Some -- usually kids -- run around the streets in ghoulish, grotesque, and garish outfits, going house to house in search for loot (read: candies). For the more chronologically advanced, dressing up as one of their favorite superhero, anime character, or video game avatar would be the appropriate preference for the last day of October (if they haven't yet gotten their fill during the slew of Comic-Cons or cosplay assemblages in the prior months).

This is now where I make my entry into the season of scares and screams!

If -- and maybe when -- I get asked to participate in a Halloween costume party I would consider the invite seriously. If they'd permit me (or the other entrants) to explain why I wore my particular chosen costume, then I think I would definitely go!

"What?!?!?! Why? You're a pastor!!! You should not be involved with any of these demonic stuff!!! Shame on you! What would the congregation think! (Please just post Bible verses!!! Pretty, pretty please!!!)"

I would go... DRESSED AS JESUS CHRIST!

"Whaaaaaaa...aaaa...aaa...aaa...aaa...aaa...", would be the unanimous gasp of disbelief and shock! I could just hear it now!

Nevertheless, I would explain to the Halloween-celebrating folk (in a non-condemning, whimsical way) that since the season is about spirits, creatures, and demons that sow and propagate fear, there's no better character to come dressed as than Jesus Himself. Because in all evaluation and consideration, the King of the Universe is infinitely cooler than these earth-bound entities!

Here's my explanation to that:

I would tell them Jesus is way cooler than a mummy or a zombie: He didn't crawl out of His tomb, mindless and unmindful of others, consuming people's lives in His wake. Instead He came back to life with His body and mind intact, giving people new life wherever He went!

I would tell them Jesus is way cooler than a vampire: He didn't suck blood from people to live forever, then infect or kill them. Instead He shed His blood to cleanse people so they, too, can live forever!

I would tell them Jesus is way cooler than witches and warlocks: He doesn't cast curses on people to make them suffer and live a life of misery. Instead He took on every curse and every consequence of sin, took it all to the cross, and rendered them powerless so that we could live a long and abundant life!

And so on... and so forth!

I would then end my explanation as to why I chose to come as Jesus for Halloween.

People take time each year to highlight these scary entities but they forget (or don't know) that the creatures they are afraid of ARE ACTUALLY AFRAID OF JESUS! They are! You want to talk scary? Jesus scares the living hell out of every demonic spirit there is. He eternally trumps every frightfully fanged freak and every creepy, crawly creature on the fear-o-meter! 

I would even go further to tell them that Jesus is so worthy of awe and amazement that the Bible tells us that EVERY KNEE WILL BOW BEFORE HIM, those in Heaven, on Earth, and under the Earth. That pretty much covers every scary creature or creepy crawly you can think of -- ghouls, goblins and gorgons included.

This, for me, is a specific way I could become like one who celebrates All Hallow's Eve -- without actually becoming one who celebrates it -- so that by all possible means I might save some.

After all, Jesus is a man for all seasons!