Are We All Alone? Remembering All Saints Day

Two weeks ago, my grandfather passed away after a brief time in hospice. He was my last remaining grandparent. As I drove down to see him for the last time, I reflected on what a gift his life was to me.

 Though his hard work led him to make significant contributions to society, I always knew him as a granddad who wanted to do something fun, whether we were going out on his boat or enjoying a meal together.

Reflecting on his life has reminded me that we all need to find time to honor the past—whether on our own or through the rhythms of the church calendar.

Two years ago, I felt bothered that I knew so little about my past – where I had come from, who my ancestors were, and how they had lived. I sent my DNA to a testing company and started to do some genealogical research.

As I sorted through my family’s history, I discovered moments of pride and reason to grieve. For instance, my family includes some of the first Europeans to settle in America. Perhaps some of my desire for adventure, risk-taking, and exploring new places and ideas comes from them.

More recently, one ancestor forced enslaved people to build him a church, and he later died fighting for the Confederacy. Another was a pastor who switched denominations to continue supporting segregation.  

It's not easy to confront these stories. While it's more comfortable to remember only the good, it’s only by facing the truth of my past that I can authentically connect to a story bigger than myself.

We all need rhythms and routines that ground us in our past.

And for me, this is the gift of All Saints Day.

The church calendar offers a counterpoint to the world’s view of time. It tells us that every day is sacred. Instead of the monotony of getting through each day, the church calendar reminds us to devote every day to God.

So, what do we remember on All Saints Day? How does celebrating it help us grow in our love for God and others?

First, it’s appropriate to remember the people we’ve lost since the last All Saints Day. God sees and cares about the grief we are still carrying.

Second, the day also draws our attention to the saints who came long before us, both those we read about in Scripture and those throughout church history.

But as we honor saints, we must be careful not to slip into extremes—whether by attributing semi-divine qualities to them or turning them into celebrities. We need to reckon with the whole truth about our heroes, recognizing both their strengths and weaknesses.

In a culture of hyper-individualism, it’s restorative to remember where we came from—who we came from—and resolve, in dependence upon God’s grace, to turn away from their sins and imitate however they lived for God’s glory.

Here’s how celebrating All Saints Day can deepen our faith in God:

• Give us courage by showing us how others faced their trials with faith.

• Humble our hearts as we reflect on the lives of godly men and women.

• Encourage us by reminding us that saints also have flaws and failures.

• Reassure us that we are never alone because, in Christ, we are connected to God’s people throughout history.

• Equip us with wisdom for facing temptations and challenges in our own lives.

Ultimately, All Saints Day is a reminder of God’s faithfulness to every generation—which builds our confidence that he will be faithful to our generation, too. For me, the primary focus of the day is gratitude.

I’d love to celebrate All Saints Day with you. Take some time to remember those who shaped your walk with Jesus. Please share their stories with our online community—we’d love to hear them. Their example can inspire us to follow God wholeheartedly.

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Image Credit: Photo by Robert Eklund on Unsplash