There are parts of the Bible that read something like a sci-fi horror movie. I remember at the age of 12, reading this description of the beast, rising out of the water in Revelation 13 and how scary it sounded at the time. It turns out this is just one of the monsters in the Bible and, given the time of year, it seems appropriate to reflect on those monsters and the power we give them in our lives. Take the Book of Job, where we hear about Leviathan, a giant sea creature, a fire-breathing serpent who appears in the Psalms as well. “Comets pour out of his mouth, fireworks arc and branch. Smoke erupts from his nostrils like steam from a boiling pot…flames of fire stream from his mouth….

I’ve come to believe that, despite its darker side – Halloween can be redemptive! After all it’s the opportunity for children and adults alike to pretend and to role play. But more than this, we get to face some of our fears, including the reality of evil, and the fear of death. I’m thinking about Anne Rice,perhaps the most well-known author of “vampire” novels, and who penned The Vampire Chronicles. She has made millions on these dark gothic novels that tap into the human longing to escape death and find immortality. In her books, the vampire characters are immortals who can kill or give eternal life through blood. She describes a vampire as one who “is cast out into the darkness but re