My First Halloween at 30

I felt a little strange walking out of the house with my wife and a jack-o-lantern in one hand and my son dressed up as a St. Bernard in the other. It seemed as if as I was doing something wrong, almost unspiritual.

I am a Christian isn't Halloween the devil's holiday?

Our family waited at the stoop with our porch light on and two big bowls brimming with sweet tasty treats.

Nothing calls kids like candy.

Shortly after, families and kids started to stream to our door. It felt really good to hand out candy to the kids. I told them they can take a hand full. Hey, this is how Italians do Halloween! Mangia! (thats italian for eat more).

We met a really cool young family down the road with a six month old dressed up as Yoda. Needless to say I liked them immediately.

They introduced themselves and said how nice it was to see another young family in the neighborhood and that we should get together sometime. (we will.)

Then it hit me...why the in the world do Christians make such a big deal about Halloween?

You meet your neighbors.

You hand out candy.

You have friendly conversations with people who you would probably not have otherwise.

It's a can't miss opportunity to be a blessing, to be salt and light and maybe alittle milk chocolate thrown in too.

I grew up in that great 80s Christian tradition of locking your door shutting the lights and pretending that you are not home (when everyone knew you were anyway) so that God forbid you don't have talk to your neighbors or be nice to the kids, or "give the devil a foothold."

I think I would rather give the devil a double take to know that his holiday has been taking over by Christians who will use it to further God's Kingdom not his.

Walking around the neighborhood felt good, it felt like the first time we were part of our community. And to be honest the houses that were dark and locked seemed more scary than the ones with the orange decorations.

This may be backlash from days as a kid of not being able dress like Spider-Man and having bad memories from Hallelujah parties (its a christian alternative party in a church, I was a bible with two black poster boards and myself as the bookmark dressed in a yellow sweat suit. I did win a prize ha ha).

I have seen other Christians starting to cross over the Halloween party lines and dress up their kids too and get into on this "taboo" holiday.

I think Halloween is what you make it to be, much like anything else in this world.

If you want to make it about evil spirits and witchcraft and all that than I am not a fan.

If you make it about the kids, than I am a fan...

and from their perspective isn't it just about dressing up and getting candy?

Christians can we just stop overspiritualizing things and really be all things to all men and keep it about the kids.

You might just make a new friend.

You might just bring someone new to church.

And that would be pretty sweet.