Everyone knows that October 31st is Halloween. It is a day that has grown in popularity in recent years and has actually moved from being a time for children to a time in which many adults dress up and have various types of activities. While I do not want to discuss Halloween itself, I do want to focus on the day that has given it its name.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
Halloween comes from “All Hallows Eve,” which is the evening before All Saints Day, which falls on November 1st. All Saints Day is when those Christian believers who have died are remembered and honored. The night before, “All Hallows Eve,” or the night before All Saints Day, has been conscripted as a night of the dead spirits and called Halloween. It is actually the exact opposite of a night of devilish pranks, witches, evil spirits, etc. But anything for a sack full of candy, I suppose.
What is lost in all of the hooplas of Halloween, however, is the fact that, as Christians, we have many who have gone before us in the faith and have provided for us a great heritage of faith. These consist of parents, grandparents, and generations that we never knew but who had an influence on those who have influenced us. It includes those who have been leaders in our churches over the years, as well as those who have led The Church throughout the centuries. It includes the Reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox, as well as those like George Whitefield, John and Charles Wesley, Dwight L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, William Booth, Jonathan Edwards, and Billy Graham. It is dotted with great missionaries like William Carey, Adoniram Judson, C. T. Studd, and Hudson Taylor. It even includes the heroes of the faith that we read about in the Bible. People like Abraham, Moses, David, Esther, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ruth, Daniel, the New Testament apostles, Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and so many others. These are only a few of the myriad of thousands who are the “Saints, who from their labors rest.”
Regardless of what may or may not be done on October 31st, the great heritage of faith we have in all the saints of God who have preceded us is something to be celebrated. These are men and women who have a heart for God and a passion for the Kingdom. They desired to know God and to make Him known. They made a difference in the world as they faithfully served Christ and shared the Gospel. Their lives and testimonies are well known in some cases and known only by a few in others, but they all together form a “great cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us.
We are encouraged in the scriptures to look to that cloud of witnesses for encouragement so that we may be able to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Though All Saints Day is rarely remembered, much less formally celebrated, let’s make sure we don’t waste the testimony of those who have gone before us. May their faithfulness encourage us to burn brightly for Christ so the generations coming after us will have stories of faith from our lives that can encourage their own walk with Christ. From generation to generation, may the Light of the Gospel burn brightly, illuminating the way of salvation and be a demonstration of the glory of our God!
As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.