As a Christian, how do you feel about Halloween? That question kept nagging at me as I was writing the Holliday Hotel series. Would a Christian book centered around such a dark holiday go over well? There are strong feelings about it on both sides. As I thought about my character, Carol Holliday, though, the answer was clear. There was no way that Carol would overlook this holiday that has grown to be so popular.
I'll admit that it surprises me when people say that Halloween is their favorite holiday. To me it celebrates darkness, and the demonic realm. But the Bible says that the darkness is overcome by the Light of the World, so should Christians hide on that day?
Carol would never hide on Halloween. She would celebrate in a way that would bring light to the darkness, use it as an opportunity to share love to those who are hurting, and draw others to Christ.
In Harvest Hollow, Autumn Black had been living in the shadow of grief for more than a year after the sudden death of her husband. When she is assigned to visit Holliday Hotel for her job, she is resistant, but found that it was just what she needed to begin to heal. God uses Carol to share some of her own painful experiences with death to shine light into Autumn's darkness.
This book was a struggle for me to write. I was dealing with my own depression and often didn't feel like writing or doing anything. When I did write, I felt like it was disjointed and difficult. I had no idea what it would end up being. But God used it to help me begin my own healing. As Autumn made her transition from darkness back to light, I began mine, too.
Halloween might not be my favorite holiday, it may be full of darkness and horror, but for Christians this is the opportunity to shine our lights brighter than ever! God is not overcome by darkness on any day of the year. Christians stand in His victory every single day. His light shines through us and on the darkest day of the year, we can be seen the brightest.
Photo by Burak The Weekender: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hanging-light-bulb-132340/
