Halloween survey – take a moment to vote in the Halloween poll:
[polldaddy poll=2186859]
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that Halloween seems to be getting more ghoulish? The holiday now ranks as the second most lucrative in terms of retail sales, and is commonly ranked as the second favorite day of the year (trailing only Christmas and well ahead of Thanksgiving). Displays of costumes, decorations and candy can be seen in stores weeks ahead of the October 31 date. In the city where I live there is an entire store that opens only for the weeks ahead of the date.
I’m not bothered by the fascination with dress-up and collection of candy that is so typically Halloween. But I am disturbed by the increasing focus on death and gore. Films play in theaters which are absolutely graphic. (I base this on movie trailers and reviews since I don’t personally view such movies.) Haunted houses are much more than ghosts jumping out to shout “Boo!” Deranged killers bearing chain saws and bloody axes are staples of these live (?) experiences.
What are we to conclude? That people just enjoy a really good scare now and then? Glenn Sparks, professor of communication at Purdue University, admits that there are many who fall into that category. But many don’t. He offered this advice in a 2006 interview: “Take
your apprehension seriously. Some people may have not been able to cope well with previous scares. Being spooked can result in unwanted
and obtrusive images that can leave someone shaken and can even disrupt important activities such as getting a good night’s sleep.”
(http://www.newswise.com)
Powerful thoughts can be implanted into impressionable minds during Halloween events. Are these the kinds of thoughts we ought to
entertain? Paul wrote about the importance of placing our minds under the Lordship of Jesus Christ: “For the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4,5). Aggressive action is what Paul describes, seeking to drive out evil thoughts and to replace them with godly ideas.
How did Paul arrive at the notion that some thoughts ought to be conquered? Likely he learned it from Jesus. Hear what the Savior said about our thoughts in Luke 11:34,35: “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.”
Does it not sound to you as if Jesus is urging us to be careful about the things we allow into our minds? Will scenes of carnage and mayhem, staples of Halloween films, have an effect on the way we think?
As children we often sang this truth: “O be careful little eyes what you see.” Turns out this is needed advice for adults, too. Hear it once more, this time from David, a man after God’s own heart: “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me” (Psalm 101:3). No, if we don’t allow our eyes to gaze upon disturbing scenes, they will not cling to us.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like
to discuss these ideas further.
Timothy D. Hall