Boxing, Bizarre Masks, and Balloons
Today is Halloween, and my dad’s birthday. When I was four, we threw a giant birthday / Halloween bash for him, and my costume that year goes down as one of my all-time favorites. I was a Boxer, and my mom even gave me a fake black eye with a pencil smudge. She then blacked out a tooth and strapped oversized Everlast gloves on my little hands. I felt so big and tough as I moved through the party and visited neighbors’ homes for candy.
Decades later, I found myself training in boxing for real. I loved it so much and it was an amazing workout too. My friends and I would go to the gym two nights a week to be trained by an MMA fighter from our area. He was kinder and more patient than I expected, too! One day though, my friend didn’t show up, and my coach tossed me into the ring for my first sparring session. He just said, it’s time, and he promised me he wouldn’t go 100%! I got lit up. Even as easy as he was taking it on me, I could not see the punches coming! I got punched in the face (thank God for headgear) more times than I can count, and I think, after three rounds, all I truly landed was one right hook to the body! It was humbling to say the least but a great learning and growing experience. I still practice footwork and boxing drills today and want to be as dangerous as I need to be if the moment calls for it. But when I actually stepped into the ring with another fighter throwing real punches at me, I felt like a real boxer for the first time. Hobbyists don’t take punches! On my way out of the ring, I saw a man who coaches his own daughter, a high school golden gloves boxer and beast in her own right! I said, “I’m sorry you had to see that.” And he responded, “It’s not the worst I’ve seen, and you kept coming.”
That encouragement was good medicine for a beat down ego!
That all came rushing to my mind last week in Zambia. Each August, there’s a ceremony called Jando, where a masked figure parades through the streets to drumbeats, children chasing behind. On the surface, it looks like tradition and celebration. But beneath the mask lies a darker reality—initiation camps shrouded in secrecy and brokenness. What looks harmless on the outside can sometimes lead to lasting scars. It’s supposed to be a coming-of-age ceremony for young men, but, from everyone I’ve talked to, it has grown to be far more twisted and dangerous. And the men in masks purposefully try to sneak up on kids and scare them…they did it to my boys when they were younger and to this day, the sight of them brings dread. It’s a sad reality in Chifubu, and every time I see the guys in Jando masks running through town trying to engage our kids, I feel some serious anger rise up in me! I definitely wouldn’t mind stepping into the ring with a few of these guys!
Countering darkness is one of the driving purposes of our Orchard team’s monthly balloon outreaches in Chifubu compound. We walk the streets, not with masks or fear, but with balloons! Our team is vibrant, bright, joyful, and full of life. We stop to pray, bless families, share hope and laughter, and bring the light of Jesus right out into the open. We don’t lure young people into darkness—we invite them into joy.
I’ve got no problem with Halloween. Our church has always had a powerful community outreach on this night that has become an evangelistic staple in our city. At those events I’ve dressed in numerous costumes as part of the skits we’ve put on.
But on a day filled with costumes and masks, I’m reminded that we lions and followers of Jesus, exist not only to shine brightly, but to push back the darkness and stand up for what’s right. To confront the brokenness around us and to operate counter to the currents of the world.
Lions shine the light, bring the joy, and stand for what’s right…no hiding in us!