Costumes, Fun-Size Candy, and...God?

Halloween is behind us and we are fast approaching the next major holiday on the calendar, Thanksgiving. Before we totally trade in our bags of fun-size candy bars (by the way, never understood what was "fun" about eating a tiny candy bar, aren't the King Size ones more "fun?") and pumpkins though, I have been thinking about the idea of dressing up in costumes - the concept that so marks the most recent holiday of Halloween.

It's great.

The idea of dressing up like another person, or an animal, or a food, character, etc. The thought, money and time that can go into costumes is funny. And of course, that is what makes Halloween legendary, its what makes it arguably the most unique holiday. For a night, you can let loose, be whoever you want to be, fraternize with strangers AND get free candy - what's not to love? Granted, this year I was that guy who didn't dress up in a crowd of people who did, but that was simply for practical reasons - I love a good costume as much as the next guy.

But it is this idea of dressing up that I think resonates.

There are crazy costumes that we simply want others to approve of by laughing at, but then there are also costumes that while still humorous (there's always something a little comical about anyone dressed up) also have a hint of seriousness to them - maybe we dress up like someone or something we hope to be. When you're a kid you dress like a superhero because deep down, you want to be that heroic figure.

This is our nature.

We long for approval, we long to be more than we really are, we long to be that which we're not, we long to change. We long to cover up ourselves with something that people will see and upon seeing it, approve of. Deep down, we all can fear simply being ourselves.

And Halloween works because for a night, there are no restraints, no limits - you can be whatever you can conjure up and for that night be identified as that thing or person. And in that way, its liberating - socially, as we can laugh and be with each other, and psychologically as we're free for a time to step out of ourselves and all of the things we don't like about us and for a moment, change.

In a way, Halloween reminds us of the Gospel.

We all stand on our own, full of misgivings, full of doubts and fears, full of things about us that we're self-conscious of, full of stuff we would love to change but can't, full of wrong things and full of wrong things done to us and we long for something to put on that will cover us. And change us. And makes us that which we long to be but on our own can't be.

All humanity stands on earth in this manner, before God, and so he sends Christ to die and rise, making peace with God on our behalf. Why? So that we can put Him on, as the Bible says, "be clothed in his righteousness." We put on Christ and just like the lady at the front door, doesn't see the little kid but she sees Superman or a Princess, God looks at us and sees Christ. But unlike the costume, which can be taken on and off, in Christ we are truly changed. Slowly and sometimes painfully, but truly changed to become that which we long to be but on our own can never be.

Truly free to be ourselves, with all of our imperfections, all of our misgivings and yet know that God looks down and says, "it's allright." It's allright, because of Christ.

Cleaning Up the Streets

I think every automobile manufacturer should now begin installing two types of horns in every car...

I was sitting at a red light the other day, when it suddenly turned green, and the car in front of me failed to move. I gave the obligatory few courtesy seconds - I'm by no means the guy who has his hand already on the horn, waiting to honk a nanosecond after the light turns green, like some sort of wild west outlaw with an itchy trigger finger - and yet after the few seconds had gone by the car still wasn't moving.

So I honked.

And immediately felt like a jerk.

See the normal horn - even if it is lightly tapped - sounds so angry and demanding. Granted, I drive a truck and so the horn is more pronounced than it would be in say, a Mini Cooper, but even so the problem is that the same horn is used for the jackass that cuts you off, the person about to back into you, the person drifiting into your lane, and simply the little old lady ahead of you in a light who you just want to gently remind, "Hey, I'm not angry - not even a little bit - just wanna say that the light's green."

But the horn says it otherwise.

It's like the Seinfeld where Jerry's bald, old uncle gets his eyebrows painted on but in a slanted fashion - from that point on anything the guy says, no matter how nice, comes across like he's angry, because he looks angry.

The horn, no matter what, always seems angry. Like you're shaking your fist and cursing under your breath, when perhaps you're not.

We need an alternative horn.

Keep the standard horn and its confrontational reputation for when we really need it but give us another horn that communicates, "Hey, I'm not mad, just wanna remind you the light's green."

The question is, what would such a horn sound like?

Perhaps a chime of some sort?

A melody? (Although people might think you're selling Ice Cream from your car and that's no good - unless of course you really are selling Ice Cream but that would involve getting a van, a mustache and a rap sheet)

What should the sound of the horn be?

All

"Jesus paid it all

all to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow..."

-Elvina Hall, 1865