Today is Halloween.
For several days I've been wrestling with whether or not to express my opinions about the way Christians should interact and respond to this “celebration” of darkness, fear and the occult. But I’m sure you can guess from my tone exactly what I would say. You have your own opinion, and it may or may not align with my own, so I decided it wasn't necessary for another teenager to deliver a monologue on the subject.
It never ceases to amaze me how much people seem to enjoy being horrified and scared. I personally can’t stand being frightened and would never consider it an enjoyable or tempting experience. Looking at the horror movies that are produced weekly, the haunted mansions and festivals, and the opportunities provided during Halloween season for this exact “amusement” makes it obvious that many in our culture disagree with me there.
During this season, we older siblings become experts at distracting the attention of our younger brother and sisters in an effort to protect their innocent eyes from the evil images that abound. As soon as an eye notices the grotesque zombies approaching on the billboard as we’re driving down the highway, some sort of grand old game begins. And whenever we’re about to pass that house whose owners delight in all manner of decorations, it’s important to notice a super exciting haystack out the opposite window. Aside from the little kids, I admit that there have been images I've seen and situations that I’ve been placed in this season that were disturbing to me as well. In the last weeks I battled some fears and disturbances in my own spirit that, though irrational, can still cause powerful unease.
The Bible gives us both a charge, and a comfort on this subject.
Psalms 101:3 says “I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.”
Wow –that one is a challenge every day of the year, but it makes it very clear how Christians are to respond to the visuals placed all around us during this season.
2 Timothy 1:7 comforts us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.”
And yet, we don’t have to be afraid of anything, as I firmly concluded. The power of Christ is within me, and I am called to share love and peace with those under the grips of evil and the devil. Fear can have no allure for the life ransomed from darkness.
Therefore I choose to discard all fear.
I choose to embrace the light and love of Jesus.
For several days I've been wrestling with whether or not to express my opinions about the way Christians should interact and respond to this “celebration” of darkness, fear and the occult. But I’m sure you can guess from my tone exactly what I would say. You have your own opinion, and it may or may not align with my own, so I decided it wasn't necessary for another teenager to deliver a monologue on the subject.
It never ceases to amaze me how much people seem to enjoy being horrified and scared. I personally can’t stand being frightened and would never consider it an enjoyable or tempting experience. Looking at the horror movies that are produced weekly, the haunted mansions and festivals, and the opportunities provided during Halloween season for this exact “amusement” makes it obvious that many in our culture disagree with me there.
During this season, we older siblings become experts at distracting the attention of our younger brother and sisters in an effort to protect their innocent eyes from the evil images that abound. As soon as an eye notices the grotesque zombies approaching on the billboard as we’re driving down the highway, some sort of grand old game begins. And whenever we’re about to pass that house whose owners delight in all manner of decorations, it’s important to notice a super exciting haystack out the opposite window. Aside from the little kids, I admit that there have been images I've seen and situations that I’ve been placed in this season that were disturbing to me as well. In the last weeks I battled some fears and disturbances in my own spirit that, though irrational, can still cause powerful unease.
The Bible gives us both a charge, and a comfort on this subject.
Psalms 101:3 says “I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.”
Wow –that one is a challenge every day of the year, but it makes it very clear how Christians are to respond to the visuals placed all around us during this season.
2 Timothy 1:7 comforts us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.”
And yet, we don’t have to be afraid of anything, as I firmly concluded. The power of Christ is within me, and I am called to share love and peace with those under the grips of evil and the devil. Fear can have no allure for the life ransomed from darkness.
Therefore I choose to discard all fear.
I choose to embrace the light and love of Jesus.