In May of 2010, I decided it was time to take a much-needed break after my first year of ministry work and took off for Philadelphia to go visit my long-time friend, Lisa. As I clamored into the backseat of her husband's SUV and got comfortable after my flight for the hour drive back to their house, we started listing off all the things that there were to do in Philadelphia. There were the typical things... the Liberty Bell, eating a Philly Cheese Steak, Independence Hall, museums... and of course, taking Ghost Tours, like out at the Eastern State Penitentiary, or going down to Gettysburg Seminary - yes, you heard me right, a haunted seminary. When I stated that hey, those ghost tours sounded cool, Lisa's husband turned in his seat, gave me an odd look, and went, "You don't really believe in ghosts and stuff, do you? You're like... a pastor! You're not supposed to believe in that kind of thing!"
While I appreciated the astute observation regarding my professional status (I am, like, a pastor), I had to giggle a bit about the perceived disconnect between the spiritual realm and a spiritual leader. Apparently spiritual leaders don't believe in the spirit realm? And, indeed, many Christians don't feel it's somehow "Christian" to believe in spirits and ghosts and things that go bump in the night. But as All Hallows Eve once again approaches this year - the question has been raised on more than one occasion - do Christians believe in ghosts and/or spirits? Is it OK to acknowledge some of the creepy, supernatural things that some claim to have experienced? Or what about those messages people many time receive after a loved one has passed? What is our "doctrine" regarding such occurrences? Does believing in spooks, spirits, and ghosts somehow make you less of a Christian? Or does it just make you superstitious and silly?
Before I answer that question, given the "spirit" of the season, perhaps a brief understanding of what exactly "All Hallows Eve" or "Halloween" is might be helpful in connecting the history of Christianity and our relationship to the "spiritual" realm.
Halloween & All Saints Day
November 1 is the celebration of what Christians call "All Saints Day" or "All Souls Day," a festival that's origins are mentioned as early as 373 AD in Antioch (though the date of Nov. 1 was not set until much later, somewhere in the 800's most likely, in order to coincide with the Celtic pagan harvest festival, Samhain - the beginning of the "dark half" of the year and a celebration of the dead as they moved into the cold, barren, dead winter months) All Saints Day was/is a celebration of all the saints/souls who had been martyred for the Christian faith as well as the more recently deceased faithful. The idea behind this festival was that the day of prayer helped move the spirits of the dead from this world (or in Catholic teachings, from purgatory) to the next world. The evening before All Saints Day was called "All Hallows Eve," (or, "Halloween") a night in which the spirits were active and in some traditions, allowed to seek vengeance for their martyrdom before moving on to the next life (though this particular belief obviously is not adhered to by most Protestant faith traditions). In pagan beliefs, the celebration of Samhain parallels this Christian celebration closely as a night in which the doorway between the two worlds is opened and the spirits were allowed to roam in our world. The souls of dead relatives were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them.
In churches throughout the world today, we still celebrate "All Saints Sunday" by ringing bells and reading off the names of those who have died over the past year and some ceremonies call for people to light a candle in remembrance of the deceased.
So given Christian practice has incorporated a belief in the spirit world and its movement and relationship to the world of the living for at least 1700 years, what does scripture itself have to say about the issue?
Ghosts & The Bible
Many see the belief in ghosts and spirits as somehow being anti-Christian, or just plain silly, yet scripture actually has quite a bit to say about the matter. According to the Bible, the spiritual realm and the earthly realm are not as disconnected as we might think. Oh, I don't mean that Christians should be performing seances and lining up outside John Edward's door to talk to deceased loved ones (the medium, not the politician) - such practices were actually forbidden in the Old Testament (for a reason), but the Bible does make clear that there is a spiritual land of the "dead" that occasionally touches or crosses into our world. 1 Samuel 28 for example tells the story of how King Saul goes to the witch of Endor and asks her to call up the spirit of the prophet Samuel. She does so, bringing up a somewhat annoyed Samuel. (He was not at all pleased at being disturbed.)
Both Leviticus 19-20 and Deuteronomy 18 give warnings to the Israelites not to mess with the spirits of the dead - that it will defile them to do so. Throughout 2 Kings, many of the Kings of Israel and Judah ignored this prohibition and meddled in the world of soothsaying, augury, wizards and mediums. The prophet Isaiah asks the question, "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" (Isaiah 8:19) Isaiah's chastisement was not that the mediums and spiritists were not able to actually do what they claimed, but that to consult the dead made no sense when one could instead consult the living God of Israel.
The Hebrew understanding of where someone went when they died was "sheol," or "the grave," a kind of spiritual, shadowy underworld, a holding place for the dead that was separated from the presence of God. (Deut. 32:22; Psalm 6:5, 16:10, 30:3, 49:14, 86:13, 141:7; Proverbs 1:12, 7:27, 9:18, 30:16; Isa. 7:11, 14:9, 38:13; Ezekiel 31:16...there are 65 references in the OT, these are but a few) Sheol was similar to the concept of Hades, the Greek underworld, frequently referenced in the New Testament. This shadowy underworld of the dead is where Christ redeems us from. (Acts 2:27, 31; Rev. 20:13)
Thus the idea of "ghosts" and the ability for the land of the dead to encroach upon the land of the living are found scattered throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 29:4 speaks of a "ghost-like" voice rising up out of the ground, and Jesus is mistaken for a ghost when he walks on water in Matthew 14:26 and Mark 6:49. He is mistaken for a ghost again at his resurrection (Luke 24:37) and has to explain how he differs from these spiritual beings, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:39) Jesus does not negate the reality of ghosts or even correct the disciples by stating, "there's no such thing as ghosts" but rather draws a distinction between a ghostly being and the resurrected Christ.
And of course, there is the issue of demonic spirits possessing people and Jesus and his disciples having to exorcise them. But that's a whole other issue in and of itself.
The Bible itself does not give us clear explanations about the workings of the spiritual world and its impact on the land of living. Saul disturbs Samuel's spirit, but there are no accounts of "hauntings" so to speak... unless you want to count the demonic possessions.
Nor does the Bible specifically address the methodology of what happens to the spirit after death as we await the resurrection, or those spirits who have possibly lost their way or are sitting in the shadowy underworld. (Paul says those who have died are "asleep in Christ," awaiting the resurrection. In Revelation 6 the souls of the martyred cry out from under the altar of God awaiting redemption. Jesus tells the thief on the cross that "today you will be with me in paradise.")
So while the Bible verifies there are such things as ghosts and that the crossover between the two worlds happens - how that typically manifests itself is up for debate. The spiritual "whereabouts" prior to the resurrection is thus a matter of speculation. At this juncture, any talk of spirits and ghosts becomes conjecture and opinion. We have only the accounts of those who have experienced these "otherworldly" encounters.
So the following is my personal opinion and is not something I expect others to adhere to or believe. As a pastor, I will say I have spent a lot of time around the dying and deceased and have heard countless people describe encounters with deceased loved ones. In most cases the encounter is comforting. A loved one appearing in a dream simply to say they are okay, and that's usually the end of it. Some have been more intense and more disturbing, especially if the circumstances around the death were more violent or involved a suicide.
Given the door that is left open by scripture regarding ghosts and spirits, I have no reason as a Christian to dismiss these accounts. In most cases, these encounters are harmless. Some may be disturbing, but rarely dangerous.
While dreams and most "hauntings" are typically harmless, and cannot be controlled by us, taking it the next step -purposely trying to make contact - can. The prohibitions against using mediums and trying to contact the dead were put in place for a reason. Spirits do not belong to this world - they belong to God. Purposely meddling with those who have passed on may be inviting more than you bargained for. As Saul's experience proved, disturbing the spirits is not necessarily a good idea. So, leave the Ouija board behind.
Our Spiritual Lives Now - And In The Future
As Christians - we proclaim the resurrection. Our hope lies in the knowledge that we will one day be resurrected from the dead. But what about between now and then? What happens to our spirits? As I said earlier - whether we go to heaven, or wait in the realm of the dead, or are simply "asleep" is up for debate. So what can we say about this idea of spirits and ghosts and what that means for Christians?
When Jesus came to earth, his message was that the Kingdom of God had come near in Him. As Christians, we believe that our life with God and Christ begins now, in this world, in this life. It starts right here and right now. We prepare for life in God's Kingdom by living lives that reflect God's Kingdom - lives of faith, forgiveness, love and service to our neighbor. This life prepares us for the next life. What we cling to now - Christ - is what we cling to in the afterlife. Knowing God and Christ now prepares us for life with God and Christ later. Our new life with Christ begins as much in the here and now as it does after we die.
Unfortunately, many live lives that cling to this world and cling to worldly ways - anger, vengeance, resentment, greed, dishonesty, violence... when people cling to the harmful things in this life, they will probably continue to cling to those things in the afterlife. If such things are not permitted in God's Kingdom, then those who continue to spiritually cling to those worldly things, even after death, cannot enter God's Kingdom because they are still mired in the ways of the world, still clinging to earthly things. Still clinging to all their garbage.
My personal theological view: This could be the cause of hauntings and ghosts. Ghosts that haunt our world are spirits that cling to this world instead of embracing God's Kingdom. These spirits are not at peace, they have not accepted the new reality of God's Kingdom. They continue to haunt this world because they still desperately crave their old life, rather than the new life that awaits them. They reject what God offers in favor of the life they led here. They reject God's forgiveness in order to continue to hold onto their own grudges and animosity. For a spirit to be at peace, it has to "let go" of this world - all the hurts and harms that have occurred, all the perceived control and power they may have had. One has to allow all the sinful garbage we carry with us to be burned up and left outside the "heavenly" gates, so to speak. One has to let go of all the things that separate us from God. Let go of anger, hurt, resentment, violence, greed, etc. A spirit that haunts is a spirit that is not at rest, that does not know peace. That is why meddling with them can be so dangerous. A restless spirit carries with it the things that keep it out of God's Kingdom - things that are ultimately harmful.
So as we approach Halloween and All Saints Day, it is not only a time to think about those who have already passed, but to also reflect on our own preparedness for the life to come. What do we cling to now? Do we cling to Christ, or to worldly ways? Do we forgive, or hold grudges? What we do, say, and think now can have lasting spiritual consequences. Seek peace in this life, to have peace in the next life.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27
While I appreciated the astute observation regarding my professional status (I am, like, a pastor), I had to giggle a bit about the perceived disconnect between the spiritual realm and a spiritual leader. Apparently spiritual leaders don't believe in the spirit realm? And, indeed, many Christians don't feel it's somehow "Christian" to believe in spirits and ghosts and things that go bump in the night. But as All Hallows Eve once again approaches this year - the question has been raised on more than one occasion - do Christians believe in ghosts and/or spirits? Is it OK to acknowledge some of the creepy, supernatural things that some claim to have experienced? Or what about those messages people many time receive after a loved one has passed? What is our "doctrine" regarding such occurrences? Does believing in spooks, spirits, and ghosts somehow make you less of a Christian? Or does it just make you superstitious and silly?
Halloween & All Saints Day
November 1 is the celebration of what Christians call "All Saints Day" or "All Souls Day," a festival that's origins are mentioned as early as 373 AD in Antioch (though the date of Nov. 1 was not set until much later, somewhere in the 800's most likely, in order to coincide with the Celtic pagan harvest festival, Samhain - the beginning of the "dark half" of the year and a celebration of the dead as they moved into the cold, barren, dead winter months) All Saints Day was/is a celebration of all the saints/souls who had been martyred for the Christian faith as well as the more recently deceased faithful. The idea behind this festival was that the day of prayer helped move the spirits of the dead from this world (or in Catholic teachings, from purgatory) to the next world. The evening before All Saints Day was called "All Hallows Eve," (or, "Halloween") a night in which the spirits were active and in some traditions, allowed to seek vengeance for their martyrdom before moving on to the next life (though this particular belief obviously is not adhered to by most Protestant faith traditions). In pagan beliefs, the celebration of Samhain parallels this Christian celebration closely as a night in which the doorway between the two worlds is opened and the spirits were allowed to roam in our world. The souls of dead relatives were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them.
In churches throughout the world today, we still celebrate "All Saints Sunday" by ringing bells and reading off the names of those who have died over the past year and some ceremonies call for people to light a candle in remembrance of the deceased.
So given Christian practice has incorporated a belief in the spirit world and its movement and relationship to the world of the living for at least 1700 years, what does scripture itself have to say about the issue?
Ghosts & The Bible
Many see the belief in ghosts and spirits as somehow being anti-Christian, or just plain silly, yet scripture actually has quite a bit to say about the matter. According to the Bible, the spiritual realm and the earthly realm are not as disconnected as we might think. Oh, I don't mean that Christians should be performing seances and lining up outside John Edward's door to talk to deceased loved ones (the medium, not the politician) - such practices were actually forbidden in the Old Testament (for a reason), but the Bible does make clear that there is a spiritual land of the "dead" that occasionally touches or crosses into our world. 1 Samuel 28 for example tells the story of how King Saul goes to the witch of Endor and asks her to call up the spirit of the prophet Samuel. She does so, bringing up a somewhat annoyed Samuel. (He was not at all pleased at being disturbed.)
Both Leviticus 19-20 and Deuteronomy 18 give warnings to the Israelites not to mess with the spirits of the dead - that it will defile them to do so. Throughout 2 Kings, many of the Kings of Israel and Judah ignored this prohibition and meddled in the world of soothsaying, augury, wizards and mediums. The prophet Isaiah asks the question, "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" (Isaiah 8:19) Isaiah's chastisement was not that the mediums and spiritists were not able to actually do what they claimed, but that to consult the dead made no sense when one could instead consult the living God of Israel.
The Hebrew understanding of where someone went when they died was "sheol," or "the grave," a kind of spiritual, shadowy underworld, a holding place for the dead that was separated from the presence of God. (Deut. 32:22; Psalm 6:5, 16:10, 30:3, 49:14, 86:13, 141:7; Proverbs 1:12, 7:27, 9:18, 30:16; Isa. 7:11, 14:9, 38:13; Ezekiel 31:16...there are 65 references in the OT, these are but a few) Sheol was similar to the concept of Hades, the Greek underworld, frequently referenced in the New Testament. This shadowy underworld of the dead is where Christ redeems us from. (Acts 2:27, 31; Rev. 20:13)
Thus the idea of "ghosts" and the ability for the land of the dead to encroach upon the land of the living are found scattered throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 29:4 speaks of a "ghost-like" voice rising up out of the ground, and Jesus is mistaken for a ghost when he walks on water in Matthew 14:26 and Mark 6:49. He is mistaken for a ghost again at his resurrection (Luke 24:37) and has to explain how he differs from these spiritual beings, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:39) Jesus does not negate the reality of ghosts or even correct the disciples by stating, "there's no such thing as ghosts" but rather draws a distinction between a ghostly being and the resurrected Christ.
And of course, there is the issue of demonic spirits possessing people and Jesus and his disciples having to exorcise them. But that's a whole other issue in and of itself.
The Bible itself does not give us clear explanations about the workings of the spiritual world and its impact on the land of living. Saul disturbs Samuel's spirit, but there are no accounts of "hauntings" so to speak... unless you want to count the demonic possessions.
Nor does the Bible specifically address the methodology of what happens to the spirit after death as we await the resurrection, or those spirits who have possibly lost their way or are sitting in the shadowy underworld. (Paul says those who have died are "asleep in Christ," awaiting the resurrection. In Revelation 6 the souls of the martyred cry out from under the altar of God awaiting redemption. Jesus tells the thief on the cross that "today you will be with me in paradise.")
So while the Bible verifies there are such things as ghosts and that the crossover between the two worlds happens - how that typically manifests itself is up for debate. The spiritual "whereabouts" prior to the resurrection is thus a matter of speculation. At this juncture, any talk of spirits and ghosts becomes conjecture and opinion. We have only the accounts of those who have experienced these "otherworldly" encounters.
So the following is my personal opinion and is not something I expect others to adhere to or believe. As a pastor, I will say I have spent a lot of time around the dying and deceased and have heard countless people describe encounters with deceased loved ones. In most cases the encounter is comforting. A loved one appearing in a dream simply to say they are okay, and that's usually the end of it. Some have been more intense and more disturbing, especially if the circumstances around the death were more violent or involved a suicide.
Given the door that is left open by scripture regarding ghosts and spirits, I have no reason as a Christian to dismiss these accounts. In most cases, these encounters are harmless. Some may be disturbing, but rarely dangerous.
While dreams and most "hauntings" are typically harmless, and cannot be controlled by us, taking it the next step -purposely trying to make contact - can. The prohibitions against using mediums and trying to contact the dead were put in place for a reason. Spirits do not belong to this world - they belong to God. Purposely meddling with those who have passed on may be inviting more than you bargained for. As Saul's experience proved, disturbing the spirits is not necessarily a good idea. So, leave the Ouija board behind.
Our Spiritual Lives Now - And In The Future
As Christians - we proclaim the resurrection. Our hope lies in the knowledge that we will one day be resurrected from the dead. But what about between now and then? What happens to our spirits? As I said earlier - whether we go to heaven, or wait in the realm of the dead, or are simply "asleep" is up for debate. So what can we say about this idea of spirits and ghosts and what that means for Christians?
When Jesus came to earth, his message was that the Kingdom of God had come near in Him. As Christians, we believe that our life with God and Christ begins now, in this world, in this life. It starts right here and right now. We prepare for life in God's Kingdom by living lives that reflect God's Kingdom - lives of faith, forgiveness, love and service to our neighbor. This life prepares us for the next life. What we cling to now - Christ - is what we cling to in the afterlife. Knowing God and Christ now prepares us for life with God and Christ later. Our new life with Christ begins as much in the here and now as it does after we die.
Unfortunately, many live lives that cling to this world and cling to worldly ways - anger, vengeance, resentment, greed, dishonesty, violence... when people cling to the harmful things in this life, they will probably continue to cling to those things in the afterlife. If such things are not permitted in God's Kingdom, then those who continue to spiritually cling to those worldly things, even after death, cannot enter God's Kingdom because they are still mired in the ways of the world, still clinging to earthly things. Still clinging to all their garbage.
So as we approach Halloween and All Saints Day, it is not only a time to think about those who have already passed, but to also reflect on our own preparedness for the life to come. What do we cling to now? Do we cling to Christ, or to worldly ways? Do we forgive, or hold grudges? What we do, say, and think now can have lasting spiritual consequences. Seek peace in this life, to have peace in the next life.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27
