Reflections on Halloween…

Dear Pali Pres,

I’ve been thinking a fair bit about Halloween recently. It’s been hard not to, honestly. With all the decked-out homes around the neighborhood, the overflowing candy aisles at the grocery store, and so many Halloween themed commercials on TV, it’s kind of hard to ignore. Plus, last week was the Halloween Festival at my boys’ elementary school and this Sunday is our church’s Trunk or Treat. On top of all of that, my youngest son, Luke, has been wearing his costume around the house for the past two weeks. Needless to say, I’ve already had a fair dose of Halloween (which I heard recently is now the second most popular holiday in North America, behind only Christmas).

While I primarily enjoy Halloween for the simple things it offers—seeing little children dressed up in cute costumes, carving pumpkins with my kids, stealing the best candies from their trick-or-treat haul after they go to bed, etc.—I’m also learning to appreciate other aspects of this holiday. If just for one night, Halloween gives us such a good example of community: families and friends gathering in the spirit of playfulness and mischief, neighbors literally opening their doors in a show of hospitality, and local communities coming together in such an intergenerational, inclusive way simply for the purpose of having some plain old fun. There really is no other day quite like it.

I know Halloween is not for everyone. But beyond the reasons we might grumble about Halloween—beyond all the processed sugar and way too gory decorations, costumes, and movies (some do go way too far)—there are some real blessings to this holiday.

I hope we will all keep this in mind this coming week, and also come be a part of our Trunk or Treat this Sunday as we celebrate the spirit of community together.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Matt