Spiritual Guidance:

Halloween is not known for promoting spiritual values. In fact, many religious groups oppose Halloween precisely because it does not support good values. Sure, fun and entertaining, but spiritual? Not likely!

Halloween would be spiritual if we knew our own history. Halloween dates from a time when most children died as young children. Even most adults rarely reached 30. People invoked all manner of rituals to keep death away. If they could scare death away (tricks) or bribe death to go away (treat), they would survive another year.

We know none of this works. Dressing up as scary as possible or having the best treats does not improve your odds of living another year. But deep down in our core of being, we still hope and pray it will.

Halloween is a shortened version of All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Hallows Day, or, as we usually call it now, All Saints’ Day.

We know about setting days aside for death. In our country we set Memorial Day to remember those who have died in the service of our country. In the 7th century the church set aside a day — All Saints’ Day — to remember those who have died in the faith.

But the saints were celebrated and remembered not for what they accomplished, or the quality and character of their life nor where they died nor even for the countless good deeds they did. They were celebrated for the work they continued to do.

We can make fun of death and evil because we know goodness prevails. The saints arrive to chase away fear and terror. On All Saints’ Day we remember that neither fear nor evil nor hate nor death shall prevail. We can make fun of death and evil because we know the saints, not the monsters, will show up at midnight.

MARK WILEY is a pastor at Mesa Verde UMC Costa Mesa.