The Blessing of Halloween--Whaaaat??

 

              Some Christians enjoy Halloween, some don't. Say what you will about the day, but as I walked around the town I currently live in this evening, a strange town at that, I noticed something interesting. This “holiday,” technically All Saints Day eve, has managed to do something that the Church has not been able to, at least not here. This historic Southern city which sits quite nicely upon a pleasant bay, has a population consisting of upper-middle class white people and lower class black people. And they don't mix. After being in this town just a few days, I had quickly figured out which streets were which—which were white, which were black, and which one was both. Because, like I said, these two just don’t mix.

                Earlier this week I had an interesting discussion with the woman who comes twice a month to clean the house I currently live in. By the way, she’s white, as am I. We both grew up with black friends, and for me, Hispanic and Asian as well, and we have both found the distinct racial separation in this city disturbing. As we were talking I made a comment about how I noticed these two people groups don’t really integrate here. She responded, saying that the black people in this area will rarely look at the white people as they pass them on the sidewalks. And they almost never say hello. I noticed this too. And I don’t like it.

For the most part, the white stay in their nice houses. The black stay in their neck of the woods. And just like hot and cold water faucets in England, the two just never come together. The reason I don’t like it is that both people groups, the white and the black, are missing out on something the other has to give. I’m not even going to mention that sometimes white people (especially women) are quite frankly afraid of black people (mostly men)—oh wait, I just said that—but I believe there are lines that haven’t been crossed because of fear of the unknown. The African American culture is very different from the European American culture, and the people in this area have kept themselves to themselves, content with what they know, with what is comfortable for them. And so, in my opinion, they miss out. I think both groups of people have something to give and something to receive, something with which to bless the other and something to learn. But unfortunately, the two groups just don’t normally come together.

Except tonight. Tonight, when it’s all about the kids (and for the kids, it’s all about the candy). It was strange, but delightfully so, to see black people with their super cute little Spidermans and princesses and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Renaissance ladies-in-waiting and even a working traffic light (no joke!) walking down the street mixing with white people sitting out on their porches waiting for them with candy. People were smiling and talking and integrating; this doesn’t usually happen. The older white people, because mostly here they are older, demonstrably enjoyed the lively young ones, who politely approached them with the traditional “Trick or treat!” and the parents of the children were able to meet the pleasant white people who live just a few blocks from them but who they rarely encounter. So whatever your opinions about Halloween, today has positively brought people of different races and economic statuses together, something that even the Church has not been able to accomplish, not in this neighborhood. And from what I have seen, both groups have been uniquely blessed.