A Monastery Mentality

Every October I see many social media posts advising Christians not to have anything to do with Halloween. Certainly, I don’t celebrate the holiday, but I look at trick-or-treaters as a mission field.

Two years ago, I took part in a Halloween outreach at a church in Buffalo, New York. A few of us spent time praying in the sanctuary before the doors opened. Trick-or-treaters and their parents walked in to receive free candy, hot dogs, popcorn, and apple cider. More importantly, they were offered prayer and the gift of eternal life. I got to lead 29 people to receive salvation that night.


Another time while living in the Washington, DC area, I dressed up as Jesus and gave out bags of candy with mini-Bibles my then-girlfriend put together. I also witnessed to kids who stayed at my girlfriend’s door long enough to listen. Three of them prayed to get saved. Other years on Halloween night, I simply walked the streets handing out gospel tracts.


Still, some Christians prefer hiding in their homes on October 31st. I call that a monastery mentality. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines monastery as “a building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows." The same dictionary defines monk as “a member of a religious community of men typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.” The female equivalent would be nuns residing in convents. 


I can appreciate individuals desiring to live more consecrated lives to the Lord. However, hiding behind walls doesn’t glorify Him. Jesus said in Luke 19:13 (KJV), “Occupy till I come.” We do that by obeying the Great Commission. Money is needed to get the gospel out. Therefore, I’d rather take a vow of prosperity than a vow of poverty. 


It should also be pointed out that the first commandment given to man in Genesis 1:28 was, “Be fruitful and multiply.” If everybody lived a celibate life, the human race would cease to exist. Only a select few are called to singleness (1 Corinthians 7:7-9). I’ve heard of monasteries that don’t even allow female animals. Can you imagine the difficulties of trying to stop female birds and insects from flying or crawling onto the property?


Many Christians adopted a monastery mentality during the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought the “Stay Home, Save Lives” mantra was a big lie. Lives were saved and healed by believers preaching the gospel, plus laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover. Whenever I saw Facebook profiles with the added graphic: “We can do this” (referring to staying home and getting vaxxed), I said to myself: “I can, but I won’t!”


Instead of hiding indoors as the disciples did before Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:19), I exhort all believers to reach out to the lost on Halloween and other days. The army of the Lord is supposed to go on the offensive and not retreat.


“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” - Matthew 11:12

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