Redeeming Halloween?

The new estate where we work has a Christian-seeded community work, along with a fledgeling Christian church. For Halloween the community work aspect proposed (as per previous years) to hold in their small community centre a 'Treat Station' - serving sweets, hot chocolate, pumpkin soup ... and warmth. This is a different approach to the classic church 'Light Party', in that it embedded itself in the secular Halloween culture - but within it offered something positive.

The same community work has encouraged year on year a respect for people's wishes and privacy: advocating across the estate that people should only knock on doors where households have placed a light, pumpkin, or other decoration outside, leaving those unlit undisturbed.

The experience in the community centre was positive. From 4pm until nearly 7pm there was a continuous stream of families passing through to meet, greet, and enjoy the refreshments. The atmosphere was lively and friendly. Many dressed up, but it was just as much general fancy dress as questionable costumes: there were dinosaurs, princesses, iron/spider-men as well as the darker choice of attire. For sure some of the older children had some unsavoury costumes and makeup, but they weren't in the majority, and they did not spoil the otherwise family atmosphere. Families came together: children with their mums and dads. All were welcomed and were pleased to be welcomed.

The warmth inside was echoed outside. Children tended to go around the estate in family & friends groupings with their parents. Many houses on the estate willingly opened their doors. This was interesting in itself, because we have been praying across the estate for 'open doors'!!

We heard no reports, nor saw any evidence of any nastiness or unpleasant behaviours. So overall it made us wonder: is this perhaps pointing towards a redeemed Halloween - in part at least? For sure some of the costumes worn and house outside displays were not wholesome from a Christian perspective, but the overall atmosphere and community-shared goodwill was way better than we had ever experienced.

Maybe the following points can be said from a Kingdom mission perspective:

• In this place at least, Halloween largely seems to have become more of a secularised party than a time with any great dark spiritual significance or overtones
  
• Year on year, positive influences can help set the tone for a secular cultural event to help it be more wholesome than it might otherwise be
• For Christians intentionally being a light within (rather than an alternative to) arguably gives potential to influence a much greater number of people across the diverse community
• Amidst the secular party atmosphere, there a ways to do this without endorsing the darker aspects that Halloween traditionally represents
  

Christians are called to be a contrast society - but that doesn't necessarily mean isolation in everything. Jesus affirmed his hearers as the salt and light. For salt to be a preservative it has to be put against the meat. For the light to shine it has to be raised, not hidden away. In every context, and in ever changing contexts, we have to work out what being put against the meat and being present so as to be seen might look like.