The Journey 304
Read; Acts 17:16-43
Today is October 31st. People here in North America will remember it as Halloween day. But there is also another important day in the history of Christian Church. Today is the Reformation Day. It was on this day that Martin Luther nailed his ninety five these to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, thus provoking a lively and fierce debate, leading finally to the Protestant Reformation. Is isn't strange that both the Halloween and Reformation day falls on the same day? Halloween has Celtic roots. It was linked to the Celtic festival Samhain [ pronounced as sow-in or sah-win]. In Irish mythology, it marked the end of harvest season and beginning of the winter or the darker half of the year. According to the Celtics, this was the time when the door to the other world was opened so that souls of the dead, and other being such as fairies could come and revisit their homes. Feast were laid and a special place for the souls of the dead was also kept at the table. But sometimes harmful spirits and fairies would also come and people took steps to ward off these evil spirits and it is these thoughts that have influenced the custom of Halloween today. It is believed that Halloween is also influenced by the Church’s celebration of All Saints Day, which is celebrated on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd. All saints day was day when the church remembered and honoured its Saints while some of the church’s like the Catholic Church remember All Souls day as a day to pray for the dead who have not reached heaven. Thus according to tradition, the souls of the dead would wander the earth till Halloween eve, and that was the last chance for these souls to wreak vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. Hence in order to avoid being recognized, people would don mask and costumes so as to disguise their identities. Thus the custom of wearing different costumes during Halloween. Celebration of Halloween in North America began only in the 19th century when there was mass immigration by the Irish and the Scots. Though this was a celebration of these immigrant communities, this gradually got assimilated into main stream society by first decade of 20th century, and today with market and media determining of how and which festival to be celebrated, celebration of Halloween has become a million dollar industry. I think most of the people tend to celebrate the festivities associated with Halloween without taking pains to understand whether there is anything symbolic in relation to Christian truths or something that characterizes any aspect of our Christian living and witness. On a day when Martin Luther wanted the common people to read the Word of God and be moulded by the Word, that brought about reformation, I think we also consciously needs to takes steps so that we are not blinded by certain festivities or traditions that have no significance to our Christian life so as to regain the true essence of gospel and make it relevant to the people and to the times. It is this mission that we can find in the ministry of the apostles in the early church.
We are meditating on the theme “ Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Acts 17: 16-43. This is one of the most beautiful portion in the Bible where we find apostle taking a unique approach in witnessing and preaching of the gospel. As he came to Athens, Paul realized that the city was full of idols. Greeks had idols or a god for everything and every need and hence they also had an idol known as “unknown god” in case they had missed anyone. It is in such a so called religious context of the Greeks that Paul presents the gospel of Jesus Christ. When he acknowledges the Greeks that they are “extremely religious” here is Paul, whom I feel acknowledging Greeks in their interest in knowing and search for the true path in life. It is here that Paul says that their search for religiosity and God ends in the gospel and in the knowledge that God does not live in idols and shrines and that God wants everyone as His offspring, to be a part of his family. Paul also brings another truth through this passage. He does not limit the power of God or the way God can work even when he is not recognized by people. Thus at a time when people were trying to make life religious by the erection of statues and idols, Paul tells them that more than these statues and idols, it is ones relationship with creator God that make our life meaningful leading to the resurrection of the dead or to eternal life. As this country celebrates Halloween, as Christians let us remember we should involve in a celebration only if it leads to a more meaningful and abiding relationship with our Lord. If not we may need to have a reformation just as Martin Luther did in his day, so as to bring back the true essence and message of the gospel.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
Today is October 31st. People here in North America will remember it as Halloween day. But there is also another important day in the history of Christian Church. Today is the Reformation Day. It was on this day that Martin Luther nailed his ninety five these to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, thus provoking a lively and fierce debate, leading finally to the Protestant Reformation. Is isn't strange that both the Halloween and Reformation day falls on the same day? Halloween has Celtic roots. It was linked to the Celtic festival Samhain [ pronounced as sow-in or sah-win]. In Irish mythology, it marked the end of harvest season and beginning of the winter or the darker half of the year. According to the Celtics, this was the time when the door to the other world was opened so that souls of the dead, and other being such as fairies could come and revisit their homes. Feast were laid and a special place for the souls of the dead was also kept at the table. But sometimes harmful spirits and fairies would also come and people took steps to ward off these evil spirits and it is these thoughts that have influenced the custom of Halloween today. It is believed that Halloween is also influenced by the Church’s celebration of All Saints Day, which is celebrated on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd. All saints day was day when the church remembered and honoured its Saints while some of the church’s like the Catholic Church remember All Souls day as a day to pray for the dead who have not reached heaven. Thus according to tradition, the souls of the dead would wander the earth till Halloween eve, and that was the last chance for these souls to wreak vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. Hence in order to avoid being recognized, people would don mask and costumes so as to disguise their identities. Thus the custom of wearing different costumes during Halloween. Celebration of Halloween in North America began only in the 19th century when there was mass immigration by the Irish and the Scots. Though this was a celebration of these immigrant communities, this gradually got assimilated into main stream society by first decade of 20th century, and today with market and media determining of how and which festival to be celebrated, celebration of Halloween has become a million dollar industry. I think most of the people tend to celebrate the festivities associated with Halloween without taking pains to understand whether there is anything symbolic in relation to Christian truths or something that characterizes any aspect of our Christian living and witness. On a day when Martin Luther wanted the common people to read the Word of God and be moulded by the Word, that brought about reformation, I think we also consciously needs to takes steps so that we are not blinded by certain festivities or traditions that have no significance to our Christian life so as to regain the true essence of gospel and make it relevant to the people and to the times. It is this mission that we can find in the ministry of the apostles in the early church.
We are meditating on the theme “ Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Acts 17: 16-43. This is one of the most beautiful portion in the Bible where we find apostle taking a unique approach in witnessing and preaching of the gospel. As he came to Athens, Paul realized that the city was full of idols. Greeks had idols or a god for everything and every need and hence they also had an idol known as “unknown god” in case they had missed anyone. It is in such a so called religious context of the Greeks that Paul presents the gospel of Jesus Christ. When he acknowledges the Greeks that they are “extremely religious” here is Paul, whom I feel acknowledging Greeks in their interest in knowing and search for the true path in life. It is here that Paul says that their search for religiosity and God ends in the gospel and in the knowledge that God does not live in idols and shrines and that God wants everyone as His offspring, to be a part of his family. Paul also brings another truth through this passage. He does not limit the power of God or the way God can work even when he is not recognized by people. Thus at a time when people were trying to make life religious by the erection of statues and idols, Paul tells them that more than these statues and idols, it is ones relationship with creator God that make our life meaningful leading to the resurrection of the dead or to eternal life. As this country celebrates Halloween, as Christians let us remember we should involve in a celebration only if it leads to a more meaningful and abiding relationship with our Lord. If not we may need to have a reformation just as Martin Luther did in his day, so as to bring back the true essence and message of the gospel.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla