“I will gather you and your children from east and west. I will say to the north and south, 'Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.”
Isaiah 43:5-7

I love Halloween. What is it I love most? Not so much the spooky stuff, though there’s some fun in that. Not the movies, though I’ll cheerfully watch Hocus Pocus any time. Not even the candy– and I really love a good piece of chocolate.

No, what I love the most about Halloween is that on that day, everyone gets to come exactly as they want to be seen, and we celebrate it. You wanna be Spiderman? Great! Your family has a carefully constructed group costume of the entire Super Mario movie? Fabulous. You pulled out your mom’s prom dress to go as a princess? Beautiful. You grabbed a pair of cat ears at the last minute and drew eyeliner whiskers on your face? Love it. You dressed up as your friend without warning them before you showed up to their party? Perfect. You pulled something together from the thrift store? Awesome. You spent more money and time than you’d care to admit meticulously recreating your favorite character? Good for you.

On Halloween, on Beggar’s Night, at Trunk or Treats, something incredible happens. We expect to see people we don’t know, wearing whatever they feel like wearing, and then we welcome them. Mostly, the welcome is simple: a piece of candy into a plastic pumpkin bucket. Sometimes it’s more elaborate: a series of game stations, crafts, and dinner for anybody who wanders in the door. Whatever the welcome, it’s given freely to anybody.

That’s why I love Halloween. It’s a day when we get it right. We don’t gatekeep or judge or exclude. We just celebrate the beautiful diversity of people who come with outstretched hands, asking for a mini snickers or a temporary tattoo. We let everyone, especially children, be exactly who they want to be. And we celebrate it!

Some churches avoid anything to do with Halloween. Others cheerfully put on Halloween parties. I think what all churches most need is to learn from Halloween. What if we thought of our everyday gatherings as something like Halloween: where anyone can show up, just the way they want to be seen, and we celebrate them as they are? 

You rolled in wearing ragged jeans and an old t-shirt? Great! Your family has carefully coordinated matching outfits? Fabulous. You’re not sure if this is for you, but it makes your mom’s day when you join her for worship? Beautiful. You haven’t been here for a while, but you felt that pull on your heart to come back? Love it. You know that your life is balanced as precariously as a house of cards and need reassurance that you’re loved even if it all falls apart? Perfect. You’ve changed your name, your style, your pronouns, but your heart still longs for community? Awesome. You spent more time and energy than you’d care to admit wrestling with your questions and you need to know others have questions, too? Good for you.

The prophet Isaiah had a vision of God’s longing to draw together all God’s scattered children, from every possible place. It sounds good, doesn't it? That reminder that wherever you are, wherever you’ve been, God wants you to come close because you, just as you are, add to God’s glory. And for us who are already here? Just do what you do at Halloween: welcome without judgment and give what Christ has already given you into the outstretched hands.

Happy Halloween.