Musings on Halloween, Continued

A friend of mine sent me an email about "Musings on Halloween". I thought he had some cool things to say- about how the roots of something do not negate the validity of the change brought to them (his example: St. Augustine's pagan roots do not negate the validity of his transformation to Christianity or the value of his Christian writings on theology), and how amazing Halloween is as an example of hospitality, kindness to strangers, and reaching out to children. And that the church could take some lessons from Halloween on how to reach out to kids and other people in their neighborhood... This is part of my response to him, plus some other thoughts...
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I believe that taking something old & dead and bringing new life & meaning to it is what salvation is about. To take something such as a pagan holiday or a song by Nirvana and find the deeper spiritual meaning & Christian truth within it... To then transform it and use it to bring glory to God- that is what Jesus does when He makes a life new. The image of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The old Easter was a pagan holiday celebrating the pagan god Orester's mythical regeneration/rebirth and the returning of Spring. Now it is known as the time when Christians remember an actual miracle, something that really happened- Jesus' resurrection, and we celebrate at that time because we took a lie and said, "that didn't happen, but look at what REALLY happened!"

I think it is hard for some people to accept that God guides each individual to different faith walks- that right now He is restricting what I read, but that that is not true for someone else. That right now He is requiring one of my friends to home school her kids, but that that is not what He is expecting of every parent... Yes, I believe there are some things he requires of every Christian, or that would be wise for every Christian to do, such as- avoid pornography, do not dress in a sexually enticing manner, avoid lewd conduct and speech, don't steal, don't kill, don't covet your neighbor's wife... However, I believe He is bringing each of us on a different path to a point where we each look like Christ- that to Him, right now, some areas of sin in my life are not what He's focused on in my faith walk, instead He's focused on the reading thing...

My experience/opinion is that when some people get a bee in their bonnet (specifically referring to the Halloween thing right now) they think it's "evil" for ALL and must be eradicated, when I think that maybe for them, right now, it is something "evil" and that they should personally avoid it, but that it is not something God's all that worried about in general... I don't know. I'll probably know in heaven, but I don't right now.

I admit I am ANGRY at my old pastor right now for a lot of very valid reasons and that I was hurt for my friends who had been busily planning a fun time for kids and then got told from the pulpit one week before the event that he wouldn't let them have the party... He did it poorly, and has been very callous repeatedly to a lot of people that he says he cares about... And it seems that I, who have been asked to leave the church, care much more for the body and the kids than he does... I do not understand God! There are times when He just doesn't make any sense to me at all... I would do things so differently if I were in charge. (Aren't you glad I'm not? I am!) I know that one day I'll understand all the stuff that was going on in the background, but right now I'm pretty clueless...