I find this rather fascinating.
The practice once by our glorious Celtic Christian ancestors was to find pagan symbols, rites, places and then “baptize” them, make them Christian. This was not to deny their origin and meaning, not to denigrate and ignore the behavior of others but, in the name of the Holy, to include them in the worship and practice of Christianity. Surely this practice vigorously and effectively recognized that whatever can help the spiritual life enlarge and grow should be considered for personal and corporate practice. I suggest that Jesus’ words (“Whoever is not against us, is for us”) should be considered as the practice of other faiths, other spiritual perspectives, are deemed valuable or not.
Ironically, with Hallowe’en, there is a moving target from pagan to Christian to pagan and now the estimable attempt to enhance Hallowe’en with its Christian nuances of souls and spirt, death and life, heaven and… well, we need talk about that.
Maybe this is a sort of “what goes around, comes around” theology.
This theology, with a little fine-tuning (I allow the name is a little cumbersome), could then be seen as relevant and helpful to relationships between partners, faith communities, colleagues, employers and employees.
Into each new relationship we carry practices and attitudes that have probably not all been carefully, logical refined. These may need to be subject to the “what goes around, comes around” theology. An acceptance of the other’s past with a view to an enlarged present and creative future.