While I can understand why some Christians might want to avoid associating with Halloween, I want my daughter Zuzu to know God is so much bigger than any holiday or tradition anyone on earth can create. Halloween and Reformation Day share a spot on the calendar, which I think is reminiscent of the paradox that led Martin Luther to (allegedly) nail his theses to the door.
Just like the world, the church can sometimes be a scary place. Sometimes we sell indulgences; sometimes we dare to challenge the powers that sell them. Sometimes people (Christians and Lutherans included) do terrible things, and sometimes we stand up to those who do them.
My hope for Zuzu is that she’ll learn that while scary things can and do happen, our God is so much bigger than any of the ghosts or monsters among us. I hope she’ll learn that our God calls us to act—like Luther—to confront the monsters in the church and the world.
This message is excerpted from “A creepy, crawly Reformation Day” by Sarah Carson from the October 31, 2017, blog of the Women of the ELCA. Today is Reformation Day. Today is Halloween in the United States.
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