Questions about Halloween and the gospel

What if?

That’s the question David Mathis asks over and over regarding Halloween in an Oct. 26 post at the Desiring God blog. Mathis -- executive pastoral assistant to John Piper at Desiring God and Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis – challenges Christians to think in a gospel-advancing way regarding this increasingly celebrated holiday. It is a worthwhile read. Whatever we decide about our response to Halloween, may Jesus and His gospel be at the heart.

Here are some of the gospel-focused challenges Mathis posted:

What if a crisp October wind blew through “the way we’ve always done things” at Halloween? What if the Spirit stirred in us a new perspective on October 31? What if dads led their households in a fresh approach to Halloween as Christians on mission?

What if spreading a passion for God’s supremacy in all things included Halloween — that amalgamation of wickedness now the second-largest commercial holiday in the West? . . .

What if we saw October 31 not merely as an occasion for asking self-oriented questions about our participation (whether we should or shouldn’t dress the kids up or carve pumpkins), but for pursuing others-oriented acts of love? What if we capitalized on the opportunity to take a step forward in an ongoing process of witnessing to our neighbors, co-workers, and extended families about who Jesus is and what he accomplished at Calvary for the wicked like us?

What if we resolved not to join the darkness by keeping our porch lights off? What if we didn’t deadbolt our doors, but handed out the best treats in the neighborhood as a faint echo of the kind of grace our Father extends to us sinners?

What if thinking evangelistically about Halloween didn’t mean just dropping tracts into children’s bags, but the good candy — and seeing the evening as an opportunity to cultivate relationships with the unbelieving as part of an ongoing process in which we plainly identify with Jesus, get to know them well, and personally speak the good news of our Savior into their lives?

You may read the entire post here.