“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” -Ecclesiastes 7:2
In light of the biblical wisdom above, the eternal seriousness of Hell's second death, the reality of evil within and without and the perpetual need to provoke the mind and heart to face the truth of this gruesome spiritual war…why do Christians and churches shun the opportunity of Halloween? Why is it so hard for us to read and respond to the deepest impulses and fascinations of those we long to reach with truth?
Our faith is rooted in a biblical text that doesn't shy away from devils, the dead, gore and violence, mystery and the mystical, the darkest shadows as well as the brightest light.
The images, stories and visions of the prophets equal anything Poe, King or Stine could pen. Yet, Christians fret over anything that dares to present one with the true fright of this present darkness. We work hard at presenting a true representation of the bible's picture of reality and yet won't paint with any of the contrast it provides. The irony of this never escapes me. Living must include suffering and dying or we are not being truthful to the human experience and God's revelation. It is 'good' to think on anything that is true…including death.
