We turned off our porch light and extinguished the candles in the jack-o-lanterns at about 9:45 Monday night, as the doorbell had stopped ringing and the last “children” were teenagers; but this was the first Halloween since covid that we had trick-or- treaters with costumes and even full face (gruesome) masks. Spirits were buoyant , children happy, and the parents were hovering close by.

Halloween’s history may have been murky, but it was a joy to see happy healthy young people enjoying the old ritual again, and the sense of community it helped restore for our street. The same houses turned on their lights, and the same ones turned theirs off. The children were all smiles, and neighbors chatted again.

In ancient Israel God established three “community” pilgrimages when the people would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate their rescue from Egypt, their union with their God, and their bond with one another. These celebrations reinforced their whole national identity, as well as the faith of the people in their God.

Community ties keep people together and responsive to each other’s needs, but they also convey a sense of security and strength. In God’s mind these are strong bonds that are capable of producing much fruit for His Kingdom.

Jeremiah the prophet was told by God to offer wine to a tribe of Rekabites, but the tribe answered, “We do not drink wine because our forefather. . . gave us this command: “Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents.. . . We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us.”

Though God had not made any of those demands upon His people, the Rekabites’ faithfulness to their ancestor was counted by God as faithfulness to Himself: “The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel says, ‘Jonadab, son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.’” (Jeremiah 35:6, 19)

God honors faithfulness and strength in community. He chose both of those as a means of freeing His people from slavery and blessing them with good life in faithfulness. This week Halloween was for me, a snapshot of blessing in community.

Love in Him,

Prue