Here we are on Halloween, with zombies, pumpkin spiced everything, horror stories, and candy. Lots of candy. But this season also brings us another holiday that doesn’t get much attention (or, thank goodness, commercialization)—All Saints’ Day.
I’m a big fan of All Saints’ Day. It’s a reminder that we’re not alone and that we’re not the first folks to work for a church and feel under-appreciated and over-worked. Many other people have walked this road before we have.
The specifics change over the years, but the challenge is much the same.
All Saints’ Day is about remembering those who have gone before us, whether they’re venerated saints that everybody knows or the quiet Christian who made a tremendous impact on your life but the wider world will never know.
I’m thankful for the stories of these heroes. They give me hope:
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A poet, activist, lawyer, teacher and priest, Pauli Murray refused to be pinned down: “What is often called exceptional ability is nothing more than persistent endeavor.” Learn more >>
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The martyr of El Salvador, Oscar Romero, communicated the truth in the face of injustice: “A church that doesn’t provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn’t unsettle, a word of God that doesn’t get under anyone’s skin… what gospel is that?” Learn more >>
- Social reformer Pandita Ramabai refused to bow to ‘that’s how we’ve always done it,’ and pushed for women’s rights in India: “What a blessing this burden does not fall on me. But Christ bears it on his shoulders. No one but he could transform and uplift the downtrodden womanhood of India and of every land.” Learn more >>
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Walt Disney worked in imagination, breathing life into wonderful ideas and making them reality: “The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” Learn more >>
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Writer Madeleine L’Engle merged science and faith, embracing the mysteries and welcoming the question ‘why’: “We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe… but by showing them a light so lovely they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.” Learn more >>
- Lawyer Turibius de Mogrovejo didn’t want to be archbishop of Peru, but rather than whining, “Can’t someone else do it,” he rolled up his sleeves and got to work: “Time is not our own, and we must give a strict account of it.” Learn more >>
- Teen hero Joan of Arc carried a banner into battle instead of a sword: “One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.” Learn more >>
- Scientist Albert Einstein not only pushed the boundaries of physics, but he championed creativity, imagination and even failure: “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Learn more >>
And those are just a few famous heroes. There are many more whose heroics will rarely be recounted.
Who are your heroes?
More:
- Grab a copy of Church Communication Heroes Volume 1: Lessons From Those Who Have Gone Before.
- Check out more heroes in our series.
- Spread the word about some of our church communication heroes with these shareable graphics:
