I got a shock today that disrupted my typically calm and rejuvenating morning walk. Praising God and enjoying the breathtaking autumn splendor, suddenly I saw a skull and hand bones piercing up out of the ground! Witches, tombstones, ghosts, dead body parts, spiders and snakes…all decorating someone’s front lawn! Triggered and repulsed, I ran as fast as I could.
Later I ran into a friend walking her dog. She remarked that her sweet calm dog got very upset and frightened by the yard decorations. How intriguing that animals sense and tremble at what humans make light of!
WHY do people think death and evil are fun, or humorous, or worth celebrating? Do they not believe it is real, or do they just truly love it?
Personally, I enjoy dressing up and having fun. One of my most memorable Halloween costumes was in college when I dressed up as sassy space alien, complete with green food coloring on my face. Smashing success and great fun – until I went to wash my face that night. Oops! Had to go back to school the next day with a lot of explaining to do. (Fun fact: food coloring is as effective as using a sharpie.)
Unfortunately, this popular holiday is an opportunity for many to feature the occult, death, evil, blood, skeletons, graveyards, and numerous other ghoulish horrors. The exact opposite of all that we as Christ-followers celebrate every spring at Easter! The contrast is stark: evil vs. good, death vs. life, darkness vs. light, deception vs. truth, sadness vs. joy, despair vs. hope, fear vs. peace, Satan vs. Jesus.
In the absence of a solid source of TRUTH, people have no reason to not celebrate something else. In the absence of a personal relationship with our Creator and Savior, people have no reason not to celebrate an imposter. Whatever feels good at the time, and as long as it does not include God, too often wins out.
Without the truth and without the Savior, the tragedy is that it ends up unimaginably worse than any gruesome lawn decor could ever portray.
Ultimately each of us has to CHOOSE who and what we celebrate…and that choice will carry us to one of only two eternal destinations: heaven or hell. In the book “Goodbye for Now,” practical help and hope for those who grieve, I share many powerful scripture promises. God’s TRUTH. There is hope for something beyond the grave for ALL who choose to believe and receive His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Now THAT is worth celebrating! Here are a few:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life. (John 3:16-17)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on
him. (John 3:36)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
(John 11:25-26)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where
I am.” (John 14:2-3)
I hope we can all be more mindful during this season, and all year round, of WHO and WHAT we choose to celebrate. WHY? Because I can’t imagine any other option as amazing as what our Lord offers!
