Deliver Us From Evil (and Things that Go Bump in the Night)

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!


This is a traditional Scottish and/or Cornish prayer that is simply delightful as we approach Halloween.
I used to be afraid of the dark. My imagination populated it with ‘ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties.’ I also didn’t love horror movies when I was younger (I still don’t all that much). And death? I used to be paralyzed with terror as a child just thinking about it.   


All Hallow’s Eve (like Christmas Eve for All Hallow’s – All Saints’ Day) is an opportunity to face these frightening things. To feel the thrill of fear, maybe, but also to be delighted by them. It is a wonderful opportunity to interact playfully with the scary, to sometimes even pretend to become what we fear.  Doing so can take some of their power away, knowing that these are things that we do not need to be paralyzed with terror by.


“Deliver us from evil.” It is part of the prayer that Jesus taught us. It is a good prayer, an important prayer, because there is evil in this world, some of which I do not understand. Children dying. Violent atrocities. Addiction tearing apart lives, families and communities. People without homes. Greed, apathy, betrayal...


We need these prayers – deliver us! Save us from evil!


But at the same time, followers of Jesus have long claimed that there is not a cosmic battle between good and evil, with an uncertain outcome. The battle is won. The humble, self-giving love of God has swallowed up death forever, alleluia, alleluia, allelulia!


We claim that in Christ, God’s goodness is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death.


As Jesus and the angels says again and again and again, “do not be afraid.” We can take those words to heart.


I still pray for deliverance from evil for myself and for others, especially from what I do not understand. I am still afraid of the dark sometimes, and of horror movies, and of death. However, they don’t paralyze me in the same way they used to. Because I am trying take God’s words to heart, “do not be afraid.”


Have a happy Halloween!  

 


Thanks be to God!
CG+