It’s the time of year when popular culture pushes our focus toward the thrill of all things scary.

Halloween decorations seem to get more outrageous and extravagant every year. We cannot help but notice that some neighbors have turned their yards into elaborate haunted attractions overlaid with spine-chilling sound effects featuring giant skeletons, oversized pumpkin ghouls, leering and spooky inflatables, LED animated ghosts, huge hairy spiders and mock graveyard scenes.

Some people really like the thrill of being scared. Spooky may seem fun and exciting. Others prefer the lighter sense of silly-scary like the Addams family or cheesy old school scary like Vincent Price. The popularity of horror in contemporary media appears to have escalated the concept of scary dramatically up to a level of nail-biting terror.

The horror genre serves up gore, screaming psychological terror, jump scares and bloody consequences for the story’s characters. Personally, none of this is my cup of tea. I have no desire to entertain myself with a chain-saw wielding demon clown lunging out at me from the TV screen. It is not in my wheelhouse to enjoy watching an apocalyptic story involving decaying maggoty zombie personas.

Suspense has its merits, but I do not choose to engage with story lines that take me to a place where I feel uneasy, unsafe or anxious emotionally.

There is no denying that there can be an innocent and fun aspect to the Halloween experience especially for children. When dressing up in costumes, kids get to act out, emulate and role play walking in their hero’s shoes.

Showing up on doorsteps year after year are the super hero favorites of Batman, Spider-Man, and the Avengers. Joining them are favorite characters from kids shows like Bluey and Paw Patrol. Video game icons like Pokémon and Super Mario Brothers will undoubtedly be making their appearances known, as well.

Finally, I cannot not leave out the guaranteed presentation of Disney princesses adorned in bedazzled gowns and sparkling crowns who appear as standard trick-or- treat visitors. It seems to be a beneficial and constructive activity to shine a light upon the positive qualities of pop culture characters that kids respect and admire.

Overall, transforming neighborhoods everywhere on Halloween, we witness folks from all walks of life being friendly and generous in their giving. It is a unique annual tradition where children can go meet and greet at a neighbor’s house receiving affirmation and candy treats.

On the other hand, I wonder about the benefit to our culture of the extreme commercialized push to transform Halloween into a vista where nightmares are born. Do we need to induce a manufactured fearful environment in order to feel something that triggers a reaction within us? Have we become too complacent with our affluence and easy-living existence that we are attracted to induced fearful emotions for the rush of thrill seeking?

Is there a positive flip side where the scenes of horror and catastrophe in media potentially train movie fans to become stronger when dealing with real life calamities? I speculate that when you habitually put people into a fearful fantasy setting that they can become desensitized to real danger or possibly are even stimulated by it. What are you afraid of?

Many neighbors I connect with at the food pantry face disturbing circumstances every day. They are dealing with genuine deeply seated fear for their utter survival. Limited income households routinely face the knowledge that they do not know how they will pay for their utility bill, food, medicine, or if they can afford their long-term medical expenses.

Some feel like no one really cares about these challenges and fear builds among the lonely and the isolated members of our community. Seniors are apprehensive of all the changes rapidly reshaping contemporary culture. Advancing technological, cultural, and communication norms can be difficult for the elderly to navigate and understand.

Some food pantry visitors describe the concern that no one will remember them or the history of their life experiences both personally and universally. They doubt if anyone will convey in a meaningful way to future generations the lessons that they learned from living through the previous decades, the Depression, WWII, or Vietnam War.

When fear takes hold, whether from history, headlines, hardship or hunger, it can feel all too real. But, unlike the fleeting thrills of horror on a screen, the fears faced by those struggling with life’s challenges can be met with something far stronger than fright, which is faith.

When life’s fears feel overwhelming and bills mount, cupboards are empty, or the future looks uncertain, we can turn to the One who calms every storm. God works through caring hearts to quiet anxious souls and meet real needs. God’s love can take the place of fear and allow peace to begin to settle in.

As Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything… and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In Him, fear gives way to hope. When we choose compassion over panic and trust over despair, fear dissolves and hope takes its place.

Janet Mills is the director of Cassville Pantry, located at 800 W. 10th St. in Cassville. She may be reached at cassvillepantry@gmail.com or 417 846-7871.