Halliween

You know that across our great land, some Christian kids have to stay home, and some Christian teachers call in sick or otherwise refuse to work on Halloween, because they feel Halloween is a religious holiday (for paganism,) and they will, therefore, take the day off so as to not sully their souls with it?

That's fine for them, but I personally don't approve, not that they care.  They are doing what they're doing, and they have that right.  Ironically, I think it reflects badly upon Christianity and Christ, and is exactly the sort of thing that would make the average person even less willing to listen to anyone speak on the subject of what they feel their relationship with God to be.  Some seem to show a spirit of bigotry, and others, a spirit of fear.  I'm sure no one wants me to point out that a spirit of hate or a spirit of fear is hardly given by God.  The bible actually says outright that, if you have a spirit of fear, God has not given it.  It's coming from elsewhere.  Anyway, I dressed up as Russell Brand (tried to) for Halloween at school this year, and looked more or less like this picture I took when I came home, right before washing all the black colour spray and hairspray out of my hair.

   So, I took a nap, and woke up, and some guy I don't know who added me as a friend on Facebook this week saw my "Mike is wishing everyone a hallowed evening" status, and as his read "J______ is We must obey God, He does not want you to give Satan the victory by celebrating Haliween..."  he decided it was time to contact me for the first time.

J_______ Hi how are you? 

8:28pm 

Mike alright. And you? 

8:29pm 

J_______ good. Have we met? 

8:29pm 

Mike I doubt it. I think we're both Facebook friends with G____, though. and some others perhaps. I'm from the Ottawa area. 

8:31pm 

J_______ What are you planning to do tonight? 

8:31pm 

Mike I got a friend request from your account and accepted it as you seemed to be friends with G_____. Well, what I was really hoping was that someone could give me a big, annoying lecture about "Halliween." You up for that? 

8:32pm 

J_______ What kind of lecture? 

8:32pm 

Mike I thought you were trying to find out if I was going to celebrate Halloween or not, and that you would give a lecture if I was. Maybe I'm assuming too much. maybe you're not the sort who gives lectures at all. Are you? 

8:34pm 

J_______ Look at my status tell me what you think. 

8:35pm 

Mike well, yes, your status does make you look like the sort of person who gives annoying lectures. You're not, though, right? Because that would suck. 

8:36pm 

 J_______ Well are you a Christian? 

8:36pm 

Mike I mean, you're not really misguided enough to think that what the Lord most wants from you this evening is to find out if I'm a Christian, and if I am, give me a prepared Halloween lecture, and if I'm not, then preach to me to become one. Ask Him if that's what He really wants your first interaction with me to be, and then listen to what He says, instead of assuming you know what He WOULD say, given your own feelings on the matter, and the argument you have put together (or had put together for you by someone else.) 

8:38pm 

J_______ I can't really give you a lecture if you are not a Christian, so you are going to have to tell me. 

8:40pm 

Mike so you can give me a lecture? Then I won't tell you for sure. 

8:45pm

 

J_______ Why do you want me to give you a lecture? If you are not a Christian then become one and you will have true happiness. He will accept you no matter what you have done. If He can forgive me, He can forgive you. 

8:47pm 

Mike I really, really don't want you to give me a lecture. I was just filled with the sinking feeling that you felt that was an appropriate thing to do upon first Internet "meeting" someone. Now I'm afraid my only options are "Don't admit you're a Christian and put up with his preaching, or admit it and get a Halloween lecture from someone who can't even spell "Halloween" correctly." 

8:49pm

 

J_______ Do you want to become a Christian? 

8:53pm 

Mike you are preaching to the converted, brother! 

8:54pm 

 J_______ What is your answer? 

8:55pm 

Mike I was just avoiding telling you I'm a Christian, because I felt that your intention was to give me (someone you don't know) a lecture on Halloween, when your expertise and level of informedness on the subject doesn't extend to spelling it correctly. and so I told you to ask the Lord if that's really what He wants you to do, because I can't picture that being what He wants your first interaction with me to be. (a lecture) 

8:57pm 

 J_______ I won't lecture you, just do what God wants you to do ok? 

8:58pm 

Mike I am, thank you. because that's how I live my life. thanks for not lecturing me (much). Happy Halloween. 

9:01pm

 Then he came back on later and asked me "Has God ever told you to get out of your comfort zone to do something brave for Him?" and I told him about how God insisted that I stop going to church.  His response was "I have to go, bye"

I realize that it takes a lot of bravery to not celebrate Halloween (well, no, it doesn't.  In many cases it just takes being eager to make a spectacle of yourself, while trying to stir up some consternation and persecution from society at large so you feel more than usually Christian, as your self-image as a Christian is completely based upon "others not understanding," and, if you're really lucky, saying or doing something mean so you can feel like you're being martyred in some small, pathetic way.)

 

    I realize that sounds like an outsider's uninformed judging, but I can tell you EXACTLY how much bravery it takes to not celebrate Halloween, as I grew up not celebrating it.  Well, I dressed up once or twice when I was very little (as Steve Austin one time) and then Dad cancelled our dressing up.  We always gave out safe, tract-free candy, though, standing at the door answering questions as to why WE weren't dressed up, or out trick or treating like the other children.  

   I also know what it took to take black construction paper, scissors, glue and a stapler, and make a Darth Vader mask while the grade 5 teacher was teaching so I could wear it for the rest of the day.  To his credit, although he was angry when he found out that I'd done this, my dad didn't punish me for it.