Ghosts, goblins, and possibly students currently enrolled in Monsters University will soon be knocking at our doors demanding candy. The real fun is in giving them due respect with our gasps and looks of horror! This ancient practice of acknowledging all that frightens us is good for the soul. It reminds us that in our human experience we are finite and there is much that can overwhelm us. That recognition draws us to look into ourselves more deeply to find what is undying and triumphant. Greeting what frightens teaches us that the only way to uncover what is glorious is to first welcome what is dreary. Learning to love ourselves in the midst of anxiety, rather than trying to extinguish it is the gospel, the Good News, and it is this—no matter what the circumstance, God is there, right with us, right within us. In accepting this deep truth, something possibly unexpected happens—our puniness dissolves, the anxiety shrinks. We discover the great treat underneath the trick of fear. We are not alone, we are not frail, we are not trapped, for our deep identity is the love and power of God. Happy Hallowe’en!
In the Love and Light of the Christ,
Rev. Anna
