If it were not for my 3 precocious and beautiful granddaughters, Halloween would be my least favorite holiday. I love watching them go door to door to get candy in their costumes. They are currently 2.5, 5, and 7 years old.
It does make me pause and think of all the people of the world who would be happy for a daily piece of bread. We spoiled Americans get a day for free candy to celebrate the fact we are the fattest people in world history. Seems more like a day of national arrogance to celebrate our ignorance.
Talking today with my good friend Mark, it hit me that Halloween is probably one of least Satan's favorite days. Why? He is worried we might notice that we have appropriated some of his fundamental strategies in order to distract ourselves from GOD for a night of trivialities.
Strategy #1- "Pretend to be someone you are not". Costumes allow people to act differently. Anyone who is not truly repenting is wearing a metaphorical costume all the time, hoping people think they are better than they are. Religious people are the best at this. If I wear a white shirt and tie I am somehow righteous. It does not matter if I have not thought of GOD the previous 6.9 days for the week. If I can get a nice suit I might someday get to misuse my supposed priesthood in a leadership position. Preferably a wool suit so I can be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Strategy #2- "Get stuff without really earning it". In the case of Halloween it is candy. In the case of this period of testing it is money and fame and honor. I am certainly a worse human being than most of the people I encountered in Bolivia, but for some reason they are poor and I am not. If I do not share my resources with others I am going to end up like the rich man who ignored Lazarus. I am not rich by the standards of Babylon, but I am better off than billions of other people.
"Get stuff for just showing up" was Satan's alternate plan of salvation. He is still trying to get people to buy into it today. Behave however you want and get rewarded when you die. Whether it is in the guise of "no hell" or JESUS saves everyone no matter what. Of course, GOD gives us way more than anyone deserves, but HE is not going to let everyone into His kingdom just to be nice. There are some requirements. I also realize that JESUS has done 99 percent of the hard work, but we as individuals have to do our 1 percent and repent, get baptized, and spend the rest of our lives serving other people.
Strategy #3- "Fear". Fear is the opposite of love. Why do people pay to have other people scare them at Haunted Houses? Why do people pay to see horror films? It has to be one of the most nonsensical things I know of along with driving a motorcycle on a daily basis.
Satan wants us to be scared of GOD. Instead we should be grateful the 2 members of our Godhead have condescended immensely to create a world where people can progress. Satan wants people to think he has power that is comparable to GOD's. Satan's limited power is nothing compared to CHRIST's! The only thing we need to fear is a failure to repent. GOD loves us unconditionally and wants only the best for us with the caveat we need to make unselfish choices.
I am pretty sure there will be no Halloween in the next phase of our existence unless we end up in Hell. They probably have Halloween once a week there.
