“Children wearing witch hats aren’t pledging allegiance to evil. They’re playing”
An Opinion by Rev. Dr. Alex G. Wright Pastor, Grace United Church, Wellsville
Every October, something cool happens in communities like Wellsville. Children transform into superheroes, princesses, dinosaurs, ghosts . . . and occasionally something no adult can identify. Neighbors decorate their porches, stock up on candy, and open their doors to families who might otherwise never stop by.
It’s Halloween. And, as a Christian pastor, I think it’s worth celebrating. I recognize that some Christians are uncomfortable with Halloween’s associations with the supernatural. I respect their right to make decisions according to their convictions. But there’s another Christian perspective worth sharing: one that sees Halloween not as a threat to faith, but as an opportunity to practice it.
Christianity is supposed to be grounded in love, not fear. The Bible declares, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). But fear is often easier to preach, and practice, than love. When religious messages leave children more terrified of hell than assured of God’s love, we’ve lost sight of an essential part of our faith. Jesus didn’t welcome children so he could scare them. He blessed them, embraced them, and held them up as examples of openness and trust.
Certainly, Christians should take evil seriously. But if we’re looking for darkness in our world, we should pay more attention to cruelty, hatred, poverty, and injustice than to children dressed as witches. We have our moral priorities backward if childhood fun alarms us more than the suffering of our neighbors. Halloween also offers an opportunity to practice Christian hospitality. Throughout Scripture, God’s people are called to welcome strangers, extend generosity, and love their neighbors. On Halloween, our neighbors come knocking, and we give them something simply because they’re there. No strings attached, no expectations, no requirement that they believe what we believe.
At Grace United Church in Wellsville, we happily hand out candy, greet children and families, and wish them “Happy Halloween!” We don’t see this as compromising our Christian identity; we see it as expressing it. Christian generosity should never become a transaction in which kindness is used to secure someone’s religious agreement. Grace, by its very nature, is a gift. When children approach any church’s doors, I hope they encounter people eager to share God’s love rather than remind them of divine punishment.
There’s also something profoundly good about joy and imagination. The Apostle Paul identifies joy as a fruit of the Spirit. And I have difficulty imagining that the God who created a world overflowing with beauty, diversity, and wonder is offended by a six-year-old pretending to be Batman. Children wearing witch hats aren’t pledging allegiance to evil. They’re playing. And play, laughter, creativity, and imagination are gifts worth celebrating.
Our faith doesn’t deny darkness or death. Instead, it proclaims that darkness cannot overcome the light and that death doesn’t have the final word. Our faith is not fragile. God’s love doesn’t tremble before a jack-o’-lantern. Jesus isn’t threatened by a Halloween costume. Not every Christian needs to celebrate Halloween. The Bible reminds us that faithful people can reach different conclusions about observing particular days. But we can respect those differences without making fear the measure of faithfulness.
Everyone, especially kids, deserves to encounter a Christianity that inspires hope rather than fear, opens doors rather than closes them, and demonstrates God’s love rather than merely talking about it. This October 31, you’ll find us at 289 N. Main Street with candy, smiles, and a warm welcome. Because sometimes living out the Gospel looks like feeding the hungry, standing up for justice, or comforting someone who is grieving. And sometimes, it simply looks like handing a couple miniature chocolate bars to a six-year-old dressed as Spider-Man.
Happy Halloween, Wellsville! No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome at our door.
