Why Write a Spooky Bible Lesson?
Note from the Author, Karl Bastian
Dear Teacher,
The decision regarding whether or not to write the Spooky Lessons of the Bible series was not an easy one. I understand that the feelings surrounding Halloween and how we are to respond to it as Christians run strong on both sides. On one end, there are those who decide to completely ignore the "holiday" (in quotes, for it is hardly a "holy day"), and on the other end are those who wish to take advantage of the opportunity to reach kids & families through outreaches & Fall events. Of course, there are also many views in between.
By providing these lessons, I am in no way condoning the events and practices surrounding Halloween that Christians disagree with. The visuals used have been cautiously selected to both reflect the season while also avoiding anything that is contrary to our belief system. Therefore, I’ve focused more on bats, pumpkins, spiders, and items that exist in nature; all things that kids enjoy.
There is a part of us that enjoys being "scared" – it is one way we deal with our fears. It is why we enjoy roller coasters and scary movies. By confronting our fears, or putting ourselves into fearful situations, we can feel a sense of control – at least that way, we are scaring ourselves rather than being a victim of something beyond our control.
Our culture's obsession with Halloween seems to grow with each passing year, with some reports claiming that it is now surpassing Christmas in retail sales and in decorating investment. My desire is not to add to that focus, but instead to acknowledge that interest and counter it by preparing our children with a biblical perspective on death.
It has always been my belief that the reason almost every culture has a "festival of death" is because of the unspoken fear of dying that those without Christ carry around with them, perhaps even so deeply that they don't consciously acknowledge it. Movie directors often create dark films that constantly delve into death and the afterlife. Hollywood pumps out one "end of the world" scenario movie after another because at everyone's core lies the ultimate question, "What happens to me after I die?"
Halloween provides our culture with a way of making light of death. We laugh at death. We mock it. We decorate with skeletons and ghosts, we dress up with blood and gore, and we put on costumes of monsters and other frightful creatures and go door-to-door asking for candy. But after it is all said and done, that piercing question goes unanswered. And quiet nagging questions remain… "What will happen to me after I die? Will I really just return to dust? Will it all really just have been for nothing? Is there a hell?"
These lessons are an opportunity to give kids the Answer. For praise God, there IS an answer. Jesus conquered Death. Death is NOT the end! And there is life after death! We owe it to our children to stand up to Halloween and teach our kids that there is an alternative to mocking the fear of death. Instead, we can teach them that we know a Savior who faced death and destroyed it and can raise us up too!
Because Jesus Loves Children,
Karl Bastian, the Kidologist
Author of Spooky Lessons of the Bible
