All Saints Day
Hebrews 11:32-12:2
32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, without us, be made perfect.
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
As Protestants, Presbyterians have an aversion to the saints and so All Saints Day is a troubling day on the calendar. But my thinking has been changed by the late Lamin Sanneh, a Christian, a professor of Church History, from Gambia. Sanneh suggested that the saints are people who lived faithful Christian lives in their context, in their culture, and were therefore examples of living the Christian life to the people of their culture. Their lives declared it was possible to be a member of their culture and a Christian, that one could live a faithful Christian life as a member of their ethnic or cultural group.
The idea that those Christians who have gone before us are examples of living faithful Christian lives is picked up in the Hebrews passage – they are the cloud of witnesses in the stands of the great arena – they have run the race – and now we are running the race of faith and they are cheering us on. Those who have gone before are both example of living the life and cheerleaders encouraging, urging, us to run with perseverance.
Who are the people of faith who are examples to you? Who are the people who you have witnessed living faithful Christian lives and whose example both challenges you and encourages you? The author of Hebrews has their list – and it is a dramatic list. Our lists may not be that dramatic, but they are no less significant.
On this All Saints Day we thank God for the people who are examples to us for following Jesus, examples of people who faithfully lived the Christian life. Maybe make a list of these people and how their example has shaped your following Jesus.
PRAYER:
God of glory, we rejoice in those who over the years have followed your Son, Jesus Christ, living faithful Christian lives. We thank you for their example. Give us the commitment to follow their example of faithfulness. We rejoice that you have called people of every tribe and language and nation to follow your Son, Jesus, so that all people everywhere have examples in their own culture of faithful living. Thank you for these faithful followers, your gifts to the cultures of the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.