I trolleyed past them again at the local supermarket: the orange pumpkins and tortured skeletons and vampire teeth and amputated fingers, as well as the coloured buckets for the candies for the kids who come trick or treating during Halloween season. Unfortunately for all the little fanged monsters in my neighbourhood, there’ll be nothing again at the at the top of the stairs, because unbeknownst to them, the Halloween grouch lives here!

There are a lot of tricks mentioned in the Book. Like Jacob disguising himself as his brother Esau to deceive his father. Like the Gibeonites persuading Joshua with their mouldy bread that they were faraway peoples. Like Ehud the left-handed assassin – “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” Yeah, right. Like Joshua’s ambush of Ai. Tamar’s harlot costume that worked a treat. Elisha’s “follow-me please” to the blind Arameans. Herod’s “I want to worship him too” ruse to the three wise men. And Pilate’s offer of a prisoner release at Passover.

In the Gospel accounts, it seems that Jesus wasn’t into playing tricks. He often answered his opponents in clever ways, but not with deception. He often spoke in parables, but not to deceive. He often ministered in isolated places, but not to secretly plot and scheme. It wasn’t ‘just to the slaughter’ that he went as a lamb, but all the way through life. Innocent, straightforward, not playing games to achieve his ends. Blessed are the pure in heart, he once said, and certainly he showed the way.