Jack, pumpkins and holy men

As one of Toivon Syke’s posts notes, a motorway only takes you in one direction at a time. But at least you are going somewhere, and not wandering aimlessly like Jack, one of the figures in Halloween history.

Halloween, by the way, did not begin in the United States, but in Ireland, where the history of the festival is closely tied to the druids. They were pagan priests who chose the last day of October for the worship of Samhain, the lord of the dead. According to the same history, a spirit named Jack was allowed into neither heaven nor hell. So he wandered around with his lantern looking for something to do.

To frighten Jack and the other spirits away, fearful people hollowed out turnips and pumpkins, carved cruel-looking faces into them and put a candle inside. As a continuation of that history, little children today walk among pumpkins frightening one another.

All Saints’ Day was earlier called All Hallows’ / the day of the holy men, and its purpose even then was to remember Christian saints, martyrs and departed loved ones. Hearing the name of this feast day as a little boy, my cousin Jukka asked my late father: “Oh, men like you and our dad?”

And the answer is: “Yes!” For these men, my father and my uncle, were born-again holy ones of God who had received forgiveness of their sins in the blood of Jesus and were then still on the way to heaven, where they already today spend eternity in the glory of God.

A blessed All Saints’ Day!

Pastor Kari