5:30 PM on October 31st 2010, my wife yells out "we don't have any candy for tonight!" A quick trip to Dollar General solves the problem. Once inside I'm confronted with a wall of seriously under-stocked corn-syrup-based, food-coloring-laden, excessive-plastic-packaging madness. Four bags should be enough for the insanity that's about to ensue at our front door. I'll be like a float rider at Mardi-Gras, tossing packages of instant delight to the flock of front lawn free loaders.
Two chairs, a good book, and a baby entertaining device were placed on the porch just as the sun began to fade below the horizon. Now the waiting begins, and wait I did. A grand total of two cars (what ever happened to walking?) came to our home. Not the festive atmosphere recalled from days gone by.
But the time was not a loss. There was a plan in place for those two families. This was the year that all the innocent Halloween bystanders would come to learn about the real October 31st holiday: Reformation day.
Each person that came to the door received one piece of candy, and then were asked, "If you can answer a question, I'll give you one more piece." All were eager to participate.
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| Luther's Seal |
Silence unanimously ensued. Not even one attempt at a response.
The follow up questions went "Have you heard of Martin Luther?"
More silence.
I gave a brief summary of the Reformation to all and most listened intently. One boy (who was pushing the international trick-or-treat age limit) even said, "Huh. I learned something new today."
Mission accomplished. One child enlightened. Many left behind.
Successfully sowing seeds for Church History.
Way to go! That is impressive! Thanks for enlightening the kiddos in your area!
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