Why Halloween is grim!

A couple of weeks ago Paul and I went to the cinema. Whilst we sat and watched the trailers, (incidentally the film was  a 12A certificate) I was appalled at the content of the films. All were about evil, the occult, contacting the dead and monsters. It only then occurred to me that Halloween is nearly upon us.

I hate Halloween! I really can’t stand it!

It grieves me that people think there is nothing nothing wrong with it and that there is no harm in teaching children to dabble in the occult and open them to a very dangerous world.

When I was a child my mum always said “The devil makes his wares inviting” and it’s true, but there is so much more to it too! The whole idea of Halloween perfectly illustrates the slippery slope of sin. It makes me think of a fly landing on a venus fly trap. It seems alright at first, and the further in the fly gets, the more danger they walk into.

It may start with dressing up as a witch and carving a pumpkin, but soon turns into telling your child it is acceptable to knock on strangers doors and ask for sweets. Then comes watching scary films and programmes which introduce people to very dangerous concepts and ideas. It can also lead to going to scare parks where people actually rejoice in seeing horrific things and being terrified by people yielding chainsaws and knives!

Furthermore it can, and often does soon lead to young naïve people entering into things they see in films like summoning ghosts and doing the ouiji board. Only the other day a 12 year old was asking me about exorcisms! Who knows where this innocent start of celebrating Halloween can take people.  It’s a slippery slope!

Sin is a slippery slope!

Throughout the bible we see examples of people who fall easily down the slippery slope of sin. Look at David. First it was pride, then coveting another man’s wife. It soon became lust, adultery and murder. It starts out pretty innocently, but soon you are the fly in the venus fly trap!

This morning as I was pondering on the Salvation Army Songbook, I came across a song by Luther with amazing words. It says:

“And though the world, with demons filled,

Should threaten to undo us;

We will not fear for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of Darkness grim,

We tremble not for him,

His rage we can endure,

For Lo! His doom is sure,

One little word shall fell him.”

The Prince of darkness grim – What a great summary! He is grim, Halloween is grim, Sin is grim!

But what a powerful truth.

“We will not fear for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us.”

So Today I declare that the truth will triumph through me. I will be a light in the darkness. I will stand against the slippery slope of sin!

 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Matthew 5:14-15