Word for Word

I remember a friend of mine telling me several years ago that their children were not going to celebrate Halloween. He was sure that dressing up in scary costumes and going door to door demanding treats to prevent having tricks played on the homeowner was an obvious form of satanic worship, or at least a way of enticing children to the dark forces of this world.

My children did go trick-or-treating despite the warning of my friend and as of yet have not shown signs of abandoning their faith. In fact it has made for some interesting insight into the early opposition to Christianity.

Each year as I greet the many trick-or-treaters, I consider how each costume reminds me of those stretched truths and some outright lies about Christians in the early days of the church. Some monsters like demons or the Devil are very strait forward in what they represent, but then there are those other so-called monsters.

Vampires remind me that early Christians were considered to be blood-sucking monsters that lived in coffins and those who were bitten became like them feeding on the blood of the innocent so that they might never die. Jesus Christ was the innocent Lamb of God sacrificed so that we may live and we celebrate that through the sacrament of Holy Communion. We share in partaking of the cup which for us becomes his blood shed for us that we might have eternal life through his sacrifice.

Flesh eating zombies remind me that early Christians were said to have died and yet they are still walking around. These Christians who emerged from the tombs where they have met to worship for fear of persecution have died to their old self that they might live through Christ. They have also shared in the breaking and eating of the bread which for them has become the body of Christ.

Mummies remind me of the stories of the dead being raised again and wandering around in their grave wrappings. Can you say “Lazarus, come out”?

Witches remind me that the twelve disciples were thought to have magic powers. One of the early followers of “the Way” Simon, who had been a magician, asked if he could purchase the power of imparting the Holy Spirit upon people from the disciples. Simon was one who did not understand that all the power shown through the disciples came from God and could never be purchased with money. All the signs of power were not simple magic tricks which are only illusion; they were indeed real.

Super hero costumes remind me of secret identities. Many of the early followers kept their faith secret to avoid persecution, yet others were true heroes giving their own lives for others. As the Church was persecuted many Christians were sawn in two or thrown into arenas with hungry lions. Some of those thrown to lions stepped forward to be torn apart so that lions would leave the others thrown in with them alone.

One of my favorites is the Frankenstein monster. I see a living creature made of many parts put together from several different people now functioning as one body. Our church is the same as that creature. No one person makes up the body of the church, but each member comes together to make the whole. Sometimes our actions are misunderstood and out of fear we are persecuted by those around us, but our creator loves us and treasures this sometimes awkward creation.

I hope that as you celebrate the holidays that you can find the deeper meaning of what is before you. Have a happy and blessed Halloween.

Rev. Kevin Smith
United Methodist Church
Lansing and New Albin