How (Not) to Celebrate Halloween
by Pastor George Van Alstine
Just when I thought Christians couldn’t get any tackier, I found out about JESUS WEEN!
Yes, my friends, an innovative pastor in Canada has come up with a solution for Christians who feel very uncomfortable each October 31 with the ghosts and goblins of Halloween — baptize the holiday and give it a name we can utter as an act of praise. Check out the JesusWeen.com Website and read the impressive list of Scriptures he uses to justify this hostile takeover of Halloween. The Bible verses he has chosen aren’t so much a call to escape the dark, demonic themes that can be seen as spiritually unhealthy for children, but instead they promote the notion that every aspect of a believer’s life ought to be seen as an opportunity for praise or witness. That’s a positive goal, but how can we do it?
Here’s the number one Jesus Ween strategy — when a trick-or-treater comes to your door, don’t drop candy into his bag; drop in a small Bible instead! Later, when the little masked visitor opens his bag to count his take, he’ll discover the Bible and be blissfully happy that you gave him God’s Word instead of candy!
Or he and his friends might TP your house. That’s the prediction of one of the responders to an online article about Jesus Ween. That was, in fact, one of the kinder responses I discovered. Though some Christian parents initially welcomed this new approach to dealing with their Halloween dilemma, the majority seemed pretty embarrassed by the idea. And unbelievers pounced on yet another reason to make fun of Christianity, as presented by some of its most outspoken advocates.
Jesus came into this world to identify with us in the harsh struggles of human life, ultimately suffering and dying on a cross for our sins. He went through far worse horrors than ghosts and goblins for us. We don’t bring glory to him when we trivialize his name into something like Jesus Ween.
I know I won’t be buying one of those Tee shirts.