Hollyween

On Halloween night, I went out with the Hope for Homeless Youth ministry to do outreach on Hollywood and Highland outside of the Kodak Theater. The streets were packed with hundreds if not thousands of people dressed in almost every costume you can possibly think of. Kids and adults crowded the sidewalks, and a traffic jam crowded the street of Hollywood Blvd.

HFHY brought a wooden casket and two large wooden crosses right in the middle of the chaos. Men held the crosses next to the casket as passerbys stared at the signs posted on the crosses, which read 'God thinks you are worth the death of His Son!' Several people were also able to share their testimonies on the microphone about how God has changed their lives. There were a few men out in Hollywood who dressed up like Jesus Christ, and had their own responses to seeing the crosses.

I was able to talk with a guy named Miguel, who was not dressed in a costume, but was down in Hollywood to enjoy the Halloween excitement. He was just looking for something to do, trying to find people to party with. My friend and I were able to talk to him a little bit about God and the Dream Center. Like many young adults, he moved out to Los Angeles to further his music career. Many people hope to be discovered in Hollywood, and Halloween was no exception, as people were "dressed to impress."

Several years ago, before I moved out to California, I heard a man say that Hollywood belongs to Satan, and there is basically no use in trying to reclaim it for God. Well, even though Hollywood is overwhelmed by darkness, God's light still shines there, and thankfully there are individuals who care enough about people in Hollywood to go out on their streets- after hours.

-Shimmy