In the Christian calendar November the 1st is marked as All Saints' Day, or the Feast of All Saints. The festival has developed since its probable inception in the 4th Century, beginning as a feast to remember the early Church Martyrs.
It was celebrated on different days by different churches, but seems to have settled on the 1st November in Europe around 800ad.
The focus has shifted over the centuries from Martyrs to all Christians who have died, and now in many churches it has become a festival where we remember and celebrate those who have inspired, challenged and encouraged us on our faith journeys.
Over the years there have been many people who have played their part in shaping my theology and spirituality. Some are people I have met, some contemporaries and some figures from history. Amongst these, there are three whose significance springs to mind today. Two men and one woman, one I know personally, one I have seen and spoken to many times but never met, and one who lived around 600 years ago.
I don’t have space to go into all the ways they have influenced me, but they are:
- Firstly, my Dad. My Dad was a Vicar who during my childhood lived and served in the city centre of Derby. Both the Church and the Vicarage were regularly visited by the homeless, addicts and sex workers who lived in the city. Looking back on the compassion and care shown to these people when many Church members were more concerned with shutting them out is something I’ve reflected on many times.
- The second hero of mine is Archbishop Desmond Tutu, growing up during the time of apartheid in South Africa and watching the way Tutu led the Truth and Reconciliation movement taught me that forgiveness and understanding are always possible and can be incredibly powerful.
- The third person is known as Julian of Norwich. Julian was born in 1343, she became an anchorite and a mystic and famously wrote the “Revelations of Divine Love”, the earliest surviving English-language works attributed to a woman. It was in her writings that I first encountered an exploration of the Divine feminine and the maternal character and love of God which encompasses all creation.
Sometimes we get caught up in the challenges of the moment, the expectations of others and ourselves, the pressures we face all around us and maybe we forget what inspired us to start this journey we are on and why! When we find ourselves in that place, it’s a good time to stop and remember why we do what we do and who has shaped us. Who are the saints who have inspired, challenged and encouraged you on your path?
We give thanks God for all those who have inspired us,
Those who encouraged us and gave us strength to step out,
Those whose actions and words challenged us to dream bigger,
Those who showed us ways to be that we could not have imagined possible,
Those who made us uncomfortable and pushed us to think again,
Those whose spirituality gave us clues for what might be,
And whose wisdom and humility expanded our vision of you.
God of holiness,
your glory is proclaimed in every age:
as we rejoice in the faith of your saints,
inspire us to follow their example
with boldness and joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.