We are days away from Halloween, an annual ceremony that commemorates evil. Throughout our community there are homes decorated with ghosts and goblins, webs, and witches to honor the night. Front yards are transformed to appear as graveyards where the dead return without a soul, animated only by evil spirits. Parents will dress up their children in skeleton costumes to portray that they are deceased and decomposed, or in pointed black hats with brooms and wands, depicting the ability to rouse dark power to cast spells and manipulate situations, or with painted pale faces with blood stained lips and plastic fangs presenting one who survives by sucking the life from others. Then, in passing on ancient sacraments to the next generation, they will send them door-to-door around the neighborhood with a spooky and heinous threat; something bad will happen to you if you do not give me what I want. These days, we have condensed it colloquially into something a bit more catchy: Trick or Treat.
Almost nobody in our society seems to understand what they are participating in. The demonic ritual that has become built into our culture, both acceptable and considered a favorite for many, is symptomatic of a spiritual veil that is over the eyes of the people; and Satan likes it that way. It isn’t enough to make Christmas about Santa, and Easter about bunnies, the Prince of Darkness wanted his own day on the calendar, where he is worshiped.
I am convinced that most people that observe the religious rites on October 31 of each year don’t think of it this way, just like my own family as I was growing up. And make no mistake, there were few individuals more loyal to following every protocol of the liturgy as me; I never missed an opportunity to masquerade and scare or be scared. Like me, many that naively participate would consider themselves Christians, others don’t even believe the devil exists. And it doesn’t seem to matter to Satan at all whether you are aware of your worshipful practice or not. He is the author of deception after all. You are really just a pawn anyway; the matter is between him and God. Spiritual blindness among the masses really advances his cause.
It’s fine with Satan if you put a sheet over your head to comically present yourself as a haunting spirit, or squeeze into silly red tights and carry a pitchfork, while believing its just innocent fun or that the invisible world doesn’t even exist. And chances are the real witches that live in the Ojai Valley will be busy doing what they do, and will not be putting tombstones in their grass, and walking the sidewalks carrying bags packed with candy. The actual demons stationed here will probably have a full agenda as well, and may not be able to make it to every party held in their honor. But we can presume that all the associates of hell, whatever their title and role, appreciate the welcoming reception to their presence and general openness to what they do.
Every year, our church holds a free carnival style event called Family Fun Fall Festival. It is an alternative to participating in Halloween; there are games and lots of candy. It is intended to be an exciting and safe place for parents to bring their children. Yes there are costumes, and we welcome kids who set out to “trick or treat” but find their way to Calvary Chapel instead. We want to reach out to well-intentioned families, like my own during childhood, that have no intention of being inducted into anti-Christ indoctrination, but are looking for answers in how to raise their kids. If that sounds like you, I hope you will come.
“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.“ (Galations 1:3-5)