One of my favourite carols, sung by the incredible Leah McFall — runner-up on BBC1′s The Voice earlier this year. Just brilliant.

Contextualisation is about showing the relevance of the gospel — not making the gospel relevant.

While I love J.John and his committment to the gospel, I am not entirely sure the focus of the article was helpful for either Christians or the general public.

In it he gives 6 reasons why he thinks Halloween is harmful — but then doesn’t offer any redemptive alternative as I have tried to do in my previous blog post.

The problem with that kind of negative critique is that it just creates a general sense fear and suspicion, rather than constructively helping Christians to engage with the realities of the world we live in. And Halloween is a present reality.

So here are my six responses to J.John’s points:

1.  Halloween celebrates evil

I get this point. Halloween, whatever it’s origins, is a celebration of all that is grotesque. And you don’t need a degree in Theology to figure out Halloween is not going to be celebrated in heaven.

But we are in danger as Christians of getting our collective knickers-in-a-twist over a caricature of evil that happens on one particular day, rather than the every day reality of evil in our world. And in doing so we end up looking rather silly to those we are trying to honestly share our faith with.

2.  Halloween is unhelpful

J.John’s point here is about mixed messages. We warn our kids about talking to strangers, and on this one night we let them roam free in the darkness.

Except that’s not what actually happens.

The majority of parents (Christian or otherwise) supervise their children — or at least give clear instructions to their kids. Some don’t. Probably the same parents who don’t care if their children talk to strangers. But most do.

3.  Halloween trivialises bad things

Again — I get this point. Halloween makes bad things seem okay.

But so does the television and films and music that fill our world every other day of the year. Including some very disturbing horror films.

As Christians we get so emotive over Halloween because it visibly intrudes into our world uninvited. But for everyone else, it’s no more grotesque than the stuff they watch on TV every day. Even young children.

Personally I think the over-sexualisation of our culture is a more present evil and pressing danger to our society than Halloween. But that’s another point.

4.  Halloween is offensive

I think J.John is stretching it a bit here.

My father was disabled and I’ve been with him when people have directly mocked and laughed at him for his disability. It was heartbreaking.

But if someone went trick or treating in a wheelchair my dad would never have taken it personally. Because it wasn’t.

There is a vast difference between vindictive mocking to purposefully belittle a person (or group of people) and the silliness of Halloween.

Most disabled or injured people would get this.

5.  Halloween is getting worse

Of course it is. We do actually need Jesus to return.

J.John’s conclusion then is “maybe we should stop celebrating it”. But that’s about as likely as Sunday trading laws being repealed.

We need a much more robust response than just pointing out things are getting worse.

6.  Halloween allows evil a victory

Poppycock.

Halloween is no more or less evil than any other day. It might appear to be more evil because people are dressed up and roaming the streets.

But honestly — does the Bible give us any reason to believe this day is any less in God’s redemptive plan than any other? That kind of dualistic thinking is not helpful.

Jesus is Lord. He owns life and death. End of story.

Final thoughts

Whether Halloween is harmful or not is a bit of a moot point. Because all evil and ungodliness is harmful. It destroys us. That’s why we need Jesus.

The relevant discussion for Christians is how we engage with Halloween and how we use it to further the gospel. When we do that we bring the victory of Christ over evil to bear upon world around us. Let your kingdom come!

But for those who don’t know Jesus, who mostly use Halloween as another excuse to dress up as Batman and get bladdered, arguing that this one night is more evil than any other just makes us look silly.

I love J.John to bits, but unfortunately I think he missed the mark here.

Every year as October 31st approaches I can tangibly feel the nervousness (maybe even fear) that some of my Christian friends hold towards Halloween.

And I sort of understand why. If Halloween had existed back then surely the Son of God would have shunned such a celebration of darkness?

It’s hard to imagine Jesus in a vampire costume.

So in response to this many families and churches put on alternative parties for their children — devoid of any trace of ghosts or ghouls — wanting to take an alternative stand to something so clearly incompatible (as the argument goes) with God.

And others I know just turn the lights off and go to bed early to firmly avoid any kind of association with this ungodly event.

But is that really how we should respond?

I’m not convinced.

Firstly — my slightly jaded view of “alternative” Christian parties is that they are just lame. I’m sure they are not all like that. I’m just speaking from my own prejudice.

And I’m also not sure that throwing a party where kids dress up as angels or Bible heros or SpongeBob SquarePants does our reputation with the world any favours. I think in the end it just underlines the perception that we Christians are odd and exist in our own bizarre religious bubble.

I might be way off the mark. But that’s how I feel.

And secondly — Jesus never turned the lights off and disengaged from the world. Ever. He was the friend of sinners. Even the really evil ones like you and me.

So is there another way we should deal with Halloween? I think there is.

And that’s to view Halloween from a missional perspective.

When we view Halloween through the lens of mission we step onto the front foot of faith. We start to see Halloween not as enemy territory to be avoided but part of God’s plan for mission. After all, we believe in a sovereign God … don’t we?

Take the cross for example.

I think we’d all agree in one sense that was a pretty dark day? At the time it was hard for the disciples to see any light in it at all. It must have felt palpably satanic to those looking on. And in one sense it was — Satan was initimately involved.

But from God’s sovereign vantage point the cross was the most brilliant moment of light. As Jesus was mocked and crucified, God was thundering from heaven “let there be light” into earth’s deep spiritual darkness.

You see, whenever Jesus is present darkness is just a precursor to light.

And in this world we have no darkness to fear anymore. Jesus saw to that. The Bible is very clear. It tells us that Jesus disarmed all spiritual forces, put them to shame, and triumphed over them at the cross.

Job done.

The triumph is not with the forces of night. It dawned with the one who said, I AM the light.

And having dispelled the darkness he now says to us, “You, my disciples, are the light of the world. So off you go. Take light into the fading darkness. Let my kingdom come.”

And here’s what that means: as it was for Jesus to be light, the same is now true for us. Wherever God’s people are, the darkness is just a precursor to light.

So this Halloween I challenge you to be light.

I challenge you not to turn the lights off and go to bed. I challenge you not to hide your light under a basket (at an alternative party for Christians).

When your neighbours knock on the door, here’s what I think you should do:

Open it, smile and say hello. Introduce yourself — especially to parents. Be generous and welcoming and give the kids a lot of sweets. And then wish them a fun evening.

You can even leave the Bible tracts in the kitchen drawer.

Or if someone invites you to a Halloween party — why not ask if you can help? A stressed-out parent might be very grateful for that simple act of kindness.

And given that worship is an issue of the heart, and not about external things, it won’t even offend God if you dress up and join in the fun. Radical huh!

What will happen is that some people will think, what lovely people. And they’ll want to talk to you again. And as far as the gospel is concerned that is a win for Jesus.

And you never know. Next time you see them you might be sharing your faith over a beer with a friend you first met on Halloween.

Every human being lives in the shadow of that inescapable reality and it drives each of us — consciously or subconsciously — to try and find meaning in life.

Even the atheist is looking for meaning.

When it comes to these universal issues of death and meaning Jesus made an incredible claim. He said he was the answer. He said I AM the truth and the life.

Death and life. Meaning and truth. These things have their epicentre in Jesus.

At least that’s what he claimed.

He also said that for anyone who believed in him something amazing would happen.

He said a seed would be planted within them. A seed so small that at the beginning it would be hard to see. But once it was planted it would grow and grow and never stop.

And this seed had a power to bring new life. A life like we could never have imagined. A life so vibrant and real and powerful that not even death could hold it back.

It was a life reunited with the greatest life-giver: our Creator.

Some didn’t believe of course. Many were sceptical. Many were undecided.

Some even thought he was a religious fraud — a charlatan — and they wanted to stop his lies. So they killed him. Because everybody knows death is the great leveller.

It’s in death we discover that we are all the same. Rich or poor. Famous or average. Nobody cheats death. So surely death would prove he’s no different — that he’s a liar?

So he was murdered. Crucified. To shut him up. To prove him wrong.

Except Jesus was different.

Like a seed buried in the ground, three days after being brutally executed, Jesus burst into glorious technicolour life. Even death could not hold back his life. And for everyone who believes in him, Jesus promises this life will be in them too.

Quite a claim, huh?

Death or life. Truth or lies. Jesus gives us a choice.

I think it’s a claim worth investigating.

I’m breaking the ice. It’s time to start writing again. I say again because I have attempted to blog before, but it’s never quite taken off.

Here’s hoping this time will be different … I have a feeling it will.

And that’s because four years ago I started leading a church.

I’ve been involved in church leadership for as long as I can remember, but four years ago it became my paid job. Jesus called me to lay down my secular work and jump in with both feet and start leading his people. And so I did.

One of the big parts of that job is to try and help those in the church walk with Jesus and engage with the world around them: to live life on mission with Jesus.

For the most part I do this on a Sunday through preaching and teaching, but more recently I have felt God stirring me to start writing and put pen-to-paper (or fingers-to-keys). Hence this blog.

So this time it’s different. This time I have a purpose for blogging.

Can’t wait to get stuck in!