All Saints … All the Saints Together

Our faith community will observe All Saints Day on Sunday, November 2.  All Saints, of course, has been observed among Christians for centuries, and has been observed in so many forms that it can be confusing.  Thus, I would like to reflect on how we celebrate All Saints in our little corner of the Protestant world.

 

We have no process of canonization in our tradition, thus, All Saints is but loosely bound to the Catholic tradition of recognizing those individuals canonized by the Catholic Church.  The New Testament recognizes all believers as Saints, so we will recognize those who have gone before us, and on whose shoulders we stand.  All Saints, for us, is somewhat like a Christian Memorial Day, but with a twist.

 

All Saints is about community and unity; and on this day we try to recognize the unity that exists among all Christians, and to recognize that our practicing community includes far more than those individuals gathered for worship.  Those we have loved and lost, those who helped to mold our spiritual lives, those who have made sacrificial contributions to the body of Christ … all of these are recognized on All Saints day; recognized, remembered, honored, and loved. 

Faith and Partisan Politics

I continue to be surprised and concerned by voices coming from all over – print media, emails, blogs, word of mouth… you name it! – insisting that any true Christian will vote for ________ (fill in the blank) in the upcoming election. 

 

If this election is a litmus test of faith I have only one thing to say; count me out!  The faith I know through Jesus the Christ has no litmus tests, and certainly not the arrogance and audacity to insist that only those who think like me are truly Christian.  We need to come to an understanding of what humility and cooperation mean. We need to come to an understanding of what an election means …and what it doesn’t mean. 

 

“We the people” will decide the upcoming election without divine intervention or endorsement.  Jim Wallace got it right when he affirmed that God is neither a Republican nor a Democrat.  To that I would add that God is certainly not in the business of “fixing” elections or holding doom and gloom over our heads should we fail to anoint God’s “chosen candidate.”  As I said, “We the people” will decide the upcoming election, and because of the wonderful freedom we enjoy – freedom that stems directly from our Christian faith and tradition – each of us will be able to vote our conscience without fear of reprisal or rejection.  I encourage you to vote your conscience and not to let anyone (including me) dictate what your conscience says.