Make Believe or Pretending to be Who Your Aren’t

I have a different view of Halloween than some pastors. I know most churches have Harvest Festivals instead of Halloween Festivals but they are the same thing. I know churches try to stay away from the idea of celebrating October 31 but I say use it. The church I’ve been working with have had Trunk-or-Treat events (kids go from car to car in our parking lot asking for candy) on the evening of October 31 for 4 of the 6 years I’ve been with them. We have the parking lot lights on, have hot cider and chocolate, and the last two years a few games and rides. It’s neat to see the different costumes that are worn.

I like to know the history or origins of things and words. Here’s a short history on why costumes are part of Halloween. The first Halloween costumes were rudimentary cloaks and disguises worn so travelers would resemble the wandering spirits of the dead. For this reason, costumes representing ghosts, skeletons and other morbid characters have long been the most standard costumes. In ancient times, people set out food and drinks for the dead souls, so the costumes also served as a means of gathering food from people's doorsteps. In the 19th century, churches in England popularized the baking and distribution of "soul cakes," which were traded in exchange for prayers made on behalf of their departed loved ones. Currant cakes were especially loved by children and, over time, the holiday's focus shifted from a celebration of the dead to a game of children looking for sweets. As the child-friendly version of Halloween spread through English-speaking countries via immigration and literature, costumes grew less morbid and more playful.

I know most people think wearing a costume and pretending to be someone or something else is only for children for one day a year; however, adults do it everyday. People pretend to be happy when they aren’t; they pretend to have it all together when life as they know is crumbling around them; they pretend to be fulfilled when they are in fact looking anyway and everywhere for the “meaning of life.” The whole pretending game isn’t just for the secular world; the church has our own set of pretenders. People come to church with a facade up; couples have been fighting about something on the way to church to only come in with fake smiles on their face. People going through hell during the week saying they are doing great or fine and turn the “How are your doing?” question around to someone else. In our men’s small group, the men know that they are not able to say fine when I ask how they are doing because the word “F.I.N.E.” to me stands for Feels Internalized Not Expressed. No faking it in the men’s small group.

The word that gets thrown around a lot about church goers who pretend to be well when they aren’t is “Hypocrite.” The word hypocrite has it origins in ancient Greek. The meaning of this word is saying a person is acting or being an actor. The actors of this time would wear large paper mache masks that showed different emotions. When an actor needed to show sadness, he wore a mask that shows sadness; when he needed to show happiness, he wore a mask that had a big smile; and so on. The main problem with wearing paper mache masks all the time is that they are made out of paper and start to tear and split. The upkeep on them is too much for people to endure; however, they see it as being better then showing people their true selves out of fear of rejection.

The church is a family and a family accepts their members as they are. The only person who is prefect is Jesus Christ; no one in the church is prefect. Not the pastor, the deacons, the Sunday School teacher, no one is. We are all flawed humans who need a Savior and once saved it takes time to grow in our relationship with our Savior. Being part of a church is to be part of a community of Christ-followers who should love one another and accept each other as they are but also help them grew in their relationship with Christ.

Let’s let the masks stay a Halloween thing and leave them off the other 364 days of the year. God saved you as you were with all the baggage, scares, winkles, and blemishes. He is molding you into a useable vessel; sometimes that has pain involved. Don’t pretend; be who you are and God’s people will love you regardless. But remember; you have to love your brothers and sisters in Christ for who they are; with all the baggage, scares, winkles, and blemishes. Church should be a “No Pretending Zone.”