All Saints Day Eve (Halloween)

Today is all saints day eve, never heard of it before? That’s OK unless you were raised Catholic or Anglican it is most likely that you would have never heard of it.

The purpose of this holiday in the Catholic and Anglican churches has a few different meanings. The meaning that makes most sense to me is the honoring of the men and women who have gone before us and sacrificed so that we might hear the Christ story and follow in their footsteps and also avoid their mistakes so we might become the men and women of God we are called to be.

Paul wrote at least three times about the need to be an example, Philippians 3:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:9, and 1 Timothy 4:12.

I am not one who openly condemns trick or treating, especially for little kids who have no idea about its very dark and evil foundation. Personally, my kids did not go trick or treating, to be honest I was probably more concerned about the evil that people can do to the candy more than anything else. Is there any other time when you would tell your kids that it is OK to take candy from strangers. That being said let me share this scripture as to why I don’t condemn the idea.

“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.” Titus 1:15

The idea of All Saints Day is that those who have gone before us are honored. I would like to recommend that if you are going to take you kids trick or treating that they dress as someone that they can honor. It does not need to be a Bible character but there are plenty of wholesome characters that can encourage your children to keep their hearts and minds on the world of possibilities that they can accomplish because of people who have gone before them.

Allow me to give you one other scripture that will keep you focused on what is important and what will be important for your children as well.

Philippians 4:8,9 The Message

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

If you are taking your kids trick or treating, please keep in mind that you are setting the tone for what they believe and what is important to them. Who do you want them to emulate? What do you want them to think is important? Let them be a character that is some one they want to be like. All of the Bible characters, Disney characters, super heroes, and others have their strengths and weaknesses, talk with your kids about the good things and they things their character needs to be an overcomer.