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Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2
So then let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such
a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage,
get rid of the sin that trips us up, 2 and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and
perfecter.
The darkness embraces everything,
It lets me imagine
a great presence stirring beside me.
I believe in the night.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke in Book of Hours
The Christian feasts of All Saints and All Souls on November 1st and 2nd
honor the profound legacy of wisdom our ancestors have left to us and
continue to offer. In some denominations, we celebrate and honor the dead for
the whole month of November. In the Northern hemisphere the world is
entering the dark half of the year. The ancient Celtic people believed this time
was a thin space, where heaven and earth whispered to one another across a
luminous veil and those who walked before us are especially accessible in
these late autumn days.
I’ve always loved the special observance of All Saints Day at our church. It is
the day when we remember those who have died in the past year. It is also
the day in which we honor all the ancestors of our faith and remember and
give thinks to the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. Several
hundred years after Jesus Christ all the Christians who were martyred due to
their faith became known as Saints of the faith. But after the reformation all
believers and followers of Jesus Christ became known as saints. In the book
of Hebrews chapter 11 there is a long list of “witnesses” or martyrs who by
faith lived their lives. It is inspiring to read all these stories.
This November take some time to remember your
ancestors and learn their stories. If you can find artifacts from their lives:
photographs, books, and memorabilia. Share their stories with some of your
friends. Better yet exchange stories with one another so that their legacy may
be spread farther and wider. Who knows in your search and remembrance
you might even experience a connection with the divine of presence God.
Common English Bible (CEB), http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%20%2012&version=CEB
Luminous Wisdom of Night: Reflections on All Saints and All Souls By Christine Valters Paintner, Patheos, 2010.
http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Luminous-Wisdom-of-Night.html