Something Woo This Way Comes
by Molly Baskette | published on Oct 31, 2025
The voice spoke to [Peter] a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” – Acts 10:15 (NIV)
Christianity is a clever animal. To proliferate and spread itself around the earth, it “mated,” in a sense, with local species—local deities, traditions, holidays—to get a foothold among communities other than the one in which it was born.
In some places, Christianity became an invasive species—killing off the local religion and many of its followers as well. Of course, it wasn’t Christianity that killed, but Christians themselves, seeking purity of religion (whatever that is). The killers rebranded healers as witches, wise ones as wicked.
What was lost when Christianity bullied its way into dominance, besides human lives and culture? Wonderful woo.
Take October 31. In Mexico, Día de los Muertos is a joyful festival when the veil between the worlds grows thin and the living make fabulous altars to ancestors gone to glory, inviting them to commune. In many Mexican cities, these altars ring the local cathedral square. There’s no daylight between Christian and “pagan” worship.
But Celtic spirituality’s corollary, Samhain? The Church stamped it out entirely with its scare tactics. A remnant lives on in Christian “hell houses” that preach judgment against anyone who departs from the one true way, and for everybody else: candy, truly turning modern Hallowe’en toothless.
I, for one, am ready for a little more woo in my life. In the book of Acts, God turned sacred what had been thought profane so Peter might have an expanded understanding of God’s reach and love. We too can move past purity tests and tribalistic taboos to embrace a bigger, more complex understanding of life, death and the Divine.
Prayer
Ancient of Ancients, thin the veil. Bring me into communion with Your people and Your power in all the ways that make Good. Amen.
About the Author
Rev. Molly Baskette is the lead pastor of First Church Berkeley UCC and the author of books about church renewal, parenting, spiritual growth and more. Sign up for her author newsletter or get information about her newest book at mollybaskette.com.
From the United Church of Christ website ucc.org 2025