Over the weekend, people in many parts of the world – especially in Europe and North America – celebrated Halloween. Streets filled with costumes, carved pumpkins, and the laughter of children calling “trick or treat.” Here in Kenya, we mostly know the festival from films and social media; it remains something we watch rather than live. I remember celebrating it as a child in the United States – the smell of pumpkin, the thrill of dressing up – but over time I came to see that behind the fun lies a deeper story about life, death, and hope.

The word “Halloween” comes from All Hallows’ Eve – the evening before All Saints’ Day on November first. It was never meant as a festival of spooks, horror or fear but a time to remember those who lived with faith and courage. At its heart, it invites reflection on something we often avoid: death.

For Christians, death is not to be feared but seen as a doorway to life with God – the completion of our journey of faith. This Jubilee Year, 2025, themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” reminds believers that life itself is a pilgrimage toward peace and fulfilment in God. All Saints’ Day celebrates those who have walked that path with courage and faith. Where modern Halloween often dwells on fear, the saints turn us toward light – toward repentance, forgiveness, and love of neighbour.

This reflection on death and life beyond it is not unique to Christianity. Across the world, other great faiths express similar beliefs in their own ways. In Hinduism, death is part of a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, leading ultimately to moksha – union with the divine. Buddhism sees death as change rather than an end, reminding us that nothing is permanent and that compassion and peace matter most. In Sikhism, death is a return to the Creator; in Islam, it marks the soul’s return to God and the start of a new existence. Across all these traditions runs a shared belief: death is not a defeat, but a transformation – a return, a fulfilment, a hope.

Now that Halloween has passed, it still offers a reminder that we can see life either through fear or through hope. The saints, and the wise of all faiths, call us to live in the light – to face difficulty with courage, to forgive, to show compassion, and to build peace even amid uncertainty.

Whether our faith teaches of heaven, rebirth, or reunion with the divine, each calls us to live well – to make the world a little brighter for those around us.

Let us take a moment of silence to remember those who have gone before us – members of our families, friends, teachers, and ancestors – whose lives have shaped our own. May those who have died rest in peace. May those who live walk in hope. And may each of us be a light for others in times of darkness.

Thank you.