A Halloween Choice

A strange confluence of events present themselves this Halloween. Presidential politics crowds nearly all else off the news, but all the spooks, ghosts, ghouls and skeletons of Halloween press in for their share of attention at the witches’ holiday of October 31. Halloween and the election were conjoined in a gruesome Los Angeles, CA residential display where Sarah Palin hangs in effigy from a noose while John McCain sits in flames on the roof. The creators of this wretched display claim it is an expression of artistic freedom and free speech.

Halloween used to be some momentary fun and games for kids, but now it’s a raging all-ages enterprise second only to Christmas in money spent. One estimate is that 52 million American adults will spend $87 each this Halloween. Total sales will be well over $5 billion for candy, costumes and other accessories.

More stunning than dress and food is the demonic nature of the celebration. Most people have a smattering of awareness that all this reflects strange supernaturalism from the underworld. Halloween is the Grand Witches Sabbath when an estimated 50,000 witches meet in groups, or covens, to honor and harness the forces of nature.

Some study of Halloween historically may be legitimate, but the whole story should be taught.
The celebration harks back to multiple pagan rites when Celtic Druids in Scotland trafficked in spirits that invaded human bodies, burned animal bones in bonefires (bonfires), and tried to fool evil spirits by costuming themselves in animal skins.

Along the way, a moral castaway named Jack, who was deemed too evil for Heaven and too good for Hell, was consigned to roam the earth. He lit his way with a candle in a turnip, which morphed into our pumpkin "jack-o-lantern."

Trick-or-treating arose from the pagan festival of Samhain ("Son of Sam" murderer David Berkowitz said Samhain gave him that nickname). Children or beggars went door-to-door begging for soul cakes. The donors would name recently departed souls and request the recipients pray for them. If people weren’t home, the beggars were inspired to play tricks on them. Cakes were eventually replaced by candy. The "trick or treat" notion still lives in the millions of youthful visitors dressed in costume.

A Middle Ages amalgamation of pagan and Christian elements in the Church gave us All Saints Day, which honors the dead martyrs and saints, on November 1. The previous evening, October 31, was a preparation or "hallowed evening," which slipped into "halloween."

Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic monk disenchanted with Church practices of selling indulgences, posted his 95 Theses of objection on his church door in Wittenburg Germany on Hallowed Evening, October 31, 1517. This drastic action is usually noted as the event that set off the Protestant Reformation whose watchword was "justification by faith alone." Churches considering themselves heirs of the Reformation often observe those historic foundation events on Reformation Sunday, the Sunday preceding October 31.

This historic chapter is ignored in our public school system while pagan overtones are giddily celebrated. Public schools are forbidden to teach the true meaning of Christmas, but they often feature Halloween dress-ups in parties and studies at tax-payers’ expense! It is a dreadful testimony as to how far American culture has sunk and historic truth is shunned.

Across America, we see yards festooned with simulated graves, dead bodies, demons, witches and even hangings. This appears to be a sporting but gruesome death pact with the underworld. Evidently a similar distortion occurred in ancient Israel in Isa 28:15 & 18. "…‘We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol (hell) we are in agreement’ …Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it."

In stark contrast to this death and hell fixation is the portrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1 Peter 2:5-6. "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is also contained in the scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’"

In the middle of that "covenant with death" text in Isaiah, is the origin of Peter’s joy. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily"( Isaiah 28:16).

Contrasting the wretched death covenant of Halloween is the glorious spiritual foundation of Christ. Luther pointed toward it stressing, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38).

Today and ever, the choice is between death and life. Covenants with death are broken only by the resurrection power of Christ. As Charles Wesley wrote, "He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me."

Moses’ choices in Deuteronomy 30:19 still stand. " I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."

Dave Virkler