Happy Belated All Saints Day!

I’ve never been much of a fan of Halloween. Call me crazy, but I have never been fond of dressing up in a costume, walking around in the cold, and collecting strange candy from even stranger strangers! (Plus, I am not a big fan of chocolate, so I assume that has something to do with it.) But November 1^st, that’s a day I can get into!

Many of us don’t realize that November 1^st is considered a holiday around the world as well. It’s “All Saints Day,” the day when goodness and light reigns after the night of “darkness” before. Now, there are all sorts of rituals that accompany the All Saints tradition from the Catholic and Orthodox churches that I don’t adhere to. But I love the idea of a day that remembers the “saints” that have gone on before us.

In Hebrews 12 we are reminded that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, both those who have gone on before us (some mentioned in Hebrews 11) and others who live around us today (both Christian and non-Christian). We look to those who have gone on before us as our examples and our mentors. He discusses the faith of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, David, and others who served God before us. None of these individuals were perfect but each one was faithful, and because of that they reside in the spiritual Hall of Fame. They serve as our examples. We are called to run in the great race of life, keeping our eyes on Jesus, and surrounded by others who are in the midst of the race as well as those who have gone on before.

The most common term for Christians in the New Testament was “saints” (‘αγγοι). As Paul addresses his fellow Christians he refers to them as saints (2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1, 15; Phil. 1:1; etc.) As Christians we are all saints. The word literally refers to “holy ones,” people who have been called to be holy. As Christians we are the “holy ones,” even though we haven’t gotten it all together yet. None of us are perfect but hopefully each one of us is faithful. We are called, as saints, to continue the race of life in holiness as we keep our eyes on Jesus, surrounded by others in the midst of the race as well as those who have gone on before.

So, dear saints, Happy Belated Saints Day! I hope it was a blessed one for you! Remember to be faithful this week.