Every year after Trick or Treat, my Mom would have to check my Halloween candy to make sure no one stuck a razor blade in my apples, or that my chocolate was open and poisoned. Every year after Trick or Treat, I would check my children’s candy to make sure no one tampered with it. Every year after Trick or Treat, my daughter checks her children’s candy to make sure it is safe. 3 generations of Mom's have kept our children safe from the evils of crazy candy killers.
Did you know that there has never been a case of a child being harmed by a stranger’s candy? Apparently, people have been hearing these stories since the 1950’s, but it has never happened. There have been rare cases where a family member has laced candy with a harmful substance or a kid has hidden something harmful in their own candy, but no strangers have ever been known to harm anyone. (For real, check it out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoned_candy_myths)
It’s an urban legend, or as we say today - fake news, that nearly every media entity has propagated with stories of how to keep this evil from our children.
Fake news or news manipulated to serve an agenda or platform, is a relatively new idea. Apparently no major news entity ever thougt to research the origins of this urban legend. Fake news causes a breech in trust.
I have to say when I first heard that there had never been any tampering on Trick or Treat, I was sure it was wrong and checked it out for myself. I mean my mother believed this to be true. I was stunned when I read 4 or 5 articles all saying the same thing, Halloween candy from a stranger has never killed or harmed anyone.
We are living in a time of decaying truth; making us suspicious and anxious about a plethora of topics. Every year we stress over making sure our children don't eat their candy until we have checked it out. Anxiety and depression are at an all-time high, in part because the world is faced with so much misinformation. What is true, what are the real facts? When truth goes, trust goes with it.
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
In a world that offers fake news mingled in with the real news we can find the good news; God has written the truth for all of us to hear through the Bible.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths." Psalm 3:5-6
If you feel that truth is in short supply, or you simply want to trust, the Bible allows you that. Even in an age of doubt and suspicion, you can rely on His Word. God doesn’t offer opinion; He only offers facts. His words never misinform. He doesn’t give us half an idea and allow us to add our own words to His for a form of the truth. His Word is The truth.
What a beautiful gift He has given us, His truth. In a hurting world, confused and starving for truth, we need to share the joy we get from knowing there is a foundation of truth that breeds trust. We know the secret ingredient that settles our soul, Jesus. Let's not keep that a secret, invite your hurting friends to read the truth about Him.
