The tie that binds

Most years have 365 days. There are joyful days like Christmas, Easter, birthdays and weddings. There are sad ones, too, like Ash Wednesday, 9/11, Remembrance Day and the days on which our loved ones died. Even days that once were happy can cause pain for those who mourn.

For me, November 1 is doubly sad. Not only is it All Saints Day, it would have been my son’s 35th birthday had he not died in Afghanistan a little over nine years ago. What a wise decision the early church made when it created this day of collective remembrance for all of our saints, both great and small.

In Finland, on All Saints Day, people visit the cemeteries where their relatives are buried and light candles in their remembrance. In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where I was born, this custom survives in some of the small towns and rural areas that were settled by Finnish immigrants during the last century. Community members meet at the cemetery, light candles at the graves of loved ones, and sing a hymn together. Afterwards, they gather in their church’s fellowship hall to share a potluck supper and stories about their particular saints.

Thanks be to God for worship communities! Amen. — CKA