2002-10-31 - 10:14 a.m.

Last day of October

This is not my favorite day or holiday. Evil is too real and rampant to celebrate with caricatures of reality. I have been through all the holiday stages, from ignoring it completely, celebrating mildly, being historically authentic and pontificating about All Hallows Eve, and having 'harvest' parties complete with Bible costumes.

Since we were going to Bible school in a foreign country when the kids first became the age to trick-or-treat, the issue was not an issue. Later we were the missionaries in residence and behaved as such. Still later, in another life the kids were not quite teens and we went out to get some treats ourselves. Since we lived far in the country and no one came down our road, we went to town. The influx of every one else with the same idea caused bad feelings on the part of the town people and I don't blame them a bit. After that, we just ignored the evening or participated in a church event. I alway tried to have something on hand to give away just in case some littles were on our road or fiends (oops, I forget what that is called--oh yeah, a Freudian slip- how very apropo-I mean friends)dropped by with their littles. Didn't want to hurt any one's feelings.

Then we moved close to civilization, had more visitors, more neighbor kids and I became more uneasy about the whole idea. Finally, one fall I made GIANT M&M cookies, bought some tracts and went door to door in the neighborhood to all the houses with children, and handed out giant cookies, explaining this was my final trick or treat. That was at least 15 years ago and the intervening years have been peaceful. 800 has always insisted on keeping treats on hand 'just in case' and I do so, but since he was usually out of town in the fall, whoever was at home usually retreated downstairs and read or watchd TV. In our area, houses who wish to participate in the event turn on a porch light and this is a sign to stop. I find that to be an agreeable solution.

But this year, I find myself troubled by a local "Spook House" It has been put together by a man I know well. In fact he was a teen in our first class of ACE (altho he didn't last long-kept sleeping in his office and bringing lighters to use at school) Years later, I ran into him again as he enrolled his emotionally troubled nephew in the school saying how much he appreciated what it had done in his own life. He was good friends with a pastor's family we knew well and seemed to be a follower of Jesus.

So it was with mixed emotions that I read the news article about the 'Spook House' he had put together this year. Lecter Dahmer was one of the fictitious characters at the house complete with bloody body bags (Ragu sauce) and assorted body parts hanging from the ceiling. Jesting about two infamous and grisly characters, real or story, was a bit much for me. Discernment seems to something not practiced much anymore. 'Anything goes' and 'If it feels good, do it' are the keywords of our culture at all levels.

Keep me from foolish jesting, Father, and give me a discerning heart. I am no different than any without Your prompting.

EE's devotional

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