It was a very busy day yesterday, getting our newsletter out, preparing a series of documents for our annual stewardship drive, updating our e-mail and mailing lists and keeping up with the usual business of a church. There were Bible studies and meetings and other activities as well. At the end of the evening when the members of the choir were heading for home I was still in the building, finishing up a few details before heading home. However, I did have a couple of breaks during the evening when I was running errands while the printer was running the newsletter.

Our church is close to one of our cities hottest trick or treat neighborhoods. Members of the West Boulevard Neighborhood Association really get into the holiday with lots of decorations around their homes and lots of treats for the children who walk up and down the street in their costumes. At about 5 p.m., when I was driving down the boulevard the parade was in full swing. It wasn’t quite dark, so what I was seeing was probably the youngest children. They were in groups of five or six, usually with a couple of parents in tow. Everyone seemed to be having a real good time and it was a special treat to see the children in their costumes.

I’m not sure how a relatively minor holiday got so much attention, but it is fair to say that our culture is vastly different from that of other eras and locations. In the life of the church, the real holiday is today: All Saints Day. On this day we remember those who have gone before whose gifts and talents have shown us how to live. The night before the feast of All Saints became known as All Hallow’s Eve which eventually got shortened into Halloween.

We have a fascination with death, and wonder what it means and how it might be and Halloween gave some opportunity to explore the mystery of death. Skeletons and spirits seemed to be symbols of the reality of death. The incorporation of pumpkins, corn stalks and other vestiges of harvest festivals was natural because of the timing of the holiday.

I suspect, however, that the children rushing from house to house on West Boulevard last night didn’t have many thoughts of death as they filled their bags with candy while showing off their costumes. I didn’t witness any people facing their fears as they participated in the tradition and ritual of the evening.

Even the older teens who were still out enjoying the warm autumn evening as I drove home weren’t engaging in anything that was likely to get them to think about their own mortality and the meaning of life and death. They were stocking up on snack foods at the few homes that still had their porch lights turned on.

Teens, of course, do think about death and the meaning of life, though not always at the same time. Their world is filled with images of death in video games, movies and television. They have experienced more gory scenes and seen more portrayal of horrible death than I could even imagine. Their experiences, however, are usually in the context of knowing that “it is only a game.” The deaths they witness are not real to them. And movies and games rarely depict the pain and grief of death. The closest that the script writers come to grief is a rage that seeks revenge. Real life doesn’t work like the movies or video games. In real life there is real pain. In real life death is permanent.

We still need opportunities to engage our children and youth in conversation and learning about life and death, but Halloween seems like an unlikely occasion for such. I try to remain open to all of the teachable moments in the lives of those around me, and I’m not ruling out a conversation about such topics on Halloween some day, but it seems like all of the trappings of the way we celebrate the occasion in contemporary society get in the way of serious contemplation of the meanings of life.

The little ones consume far too much sugar on Halloween evening to be able to focus their energies and attention. The costumes lend a sense of “make believe” and unreality to the occasion.

I’m not trying to shift the culture. I’m not even upset at the way that Halloween has evolved in our society. I just am aware that the secularized holiday often falls short of the deeper meaning that is a part of All Saints Day.

I’ve written it in this blog over and over again: we belong to something much bigger than ourselves. The lives of those who have died continue to affect the lives we live. Our lives play a role in the lives of future generations. We belong to a long line of history making. Like the parade of children going up and down the boulevard last night, we are not the beginning nor are we the end of the generations of this earth.

Some of those lives that went before our own have a great deal to teach us about the nature of a life well lived. Some of those lives are worth examining for clues about how to live our own lives.

So I greet you on this festival of all saints. And I pray that you will think of all of the saints – those who have been formally recognized and those who have not. Look in your own life for the signs of those who have gone before. Ponder how you have been affected by the generosity of previous generations and the example of genuine lives of faith. Reflect on the closeness of life and death and even the fragility of our own lives on this earth. Consider the contributions you might make to future generations by the decisions you make this day.

You are not alone. The saints are with us every day. Today is a good day to clebrate that reality. Happy All Saints Day!

Copyright © 2012 by Ted Huffman. I wrote this. If you want to copy it, please ask for permission. There is a contact me button at the bottom of this page. If you want to share my blog a friend, please direct your friend to my web site.