One of the things I link the season of Fall with is hospitality. From the beginning to the end, a common theme of fall is being thankful for what we have and to be ready to share in the bounty. The days are getting shorter and the nights a little bit longer and the smell of pumpkin spice fills the air everywhere we go. And we prepare ourselves for the first of those fall festival days … Halloween.
Halloween hasn’t always been a sugar charged trick or teat free-for-all. It actually traces back to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) and was a liminal or threshold festival, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld blurred, making contact with the ‘spirits’ or ‘fairies’ more likely. At Samhain, the spirits were appeased with offerings of food and drink to ensure the people and livestock survived the winter. The souls of dead kin were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality, and a place was set at the table for them during a meal.
Later in Christianity, the church co-opted the evening calling it All Hallows Eve as a time preparing for All Hallows Day, now known as All Saints Day on November 1st. So still people go around looking for generosity from strangers in the form of candy and treats. Growing up, there was a neighborhood line of communication between the children as to which houses had the best and worst treats. And we would adjust our trek accordingly to maximize the sugar buzz for the evening.
Fall and Halloween get me thinking about Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 to his disciples about when he would come again and separate the sheep from the goats. What this whole teaching is about is hospitality. Jesus said; “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’ (MAT 25:37-40, CEB)
Just like the ghosts of the relatives coming back during Samhain or the children for Halloween night, all they are seeking is hospitality. Christ is all around us, even in the little devil or the zombie or the clown on your doorstep Halloween night. Our job is to be the hands and heart of Jesus Christ and show what Christian hospitality really is. You never know if it is Jesus knocking on the door.
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