When you hear about a day that ends in “eve,” it’s a reminder that the next day is even more special. Christmas Eve is the warmup to Christmas. New Year’s Eve is the celebration of the new year that begins on the next day. Those are the only two eves that most people remember—but I’d like to remind you of a third eve that I find meaningful.
“Halloween” is a shortened version of “All Hallows Eve.” So what this “All Hallows” that gets a special day just to prepare us for it? All Hallows, better known as All Saints Day, was a feast day that began somewhere in the mid-700s AD. Remember that, Biblically speaking, everyone who is in Christ is a “saint.” During this feast, Christians would remember and celebrate the lives their brothers and sisters in Christ who had already gone on to their reward. They would especially remember and honor the memory of those who were martyred for the cause of Christ. Now it is certainly possible to go to an excess with a day like this, but the basic idea is worthy of our attention.
It would do us good to stop and remember some of the saints who have preceded us in death. Whose faith has aided your walk with God? Can you think of a person? A grandparent? A parent? A historical figure? A missionary or elder?
We ought to thank God for the legacy they left us. Their lives and sacrifices amaze us. Their faith inspires us. Their love of God and neighbor motivates us to follow in their steps. We are who we are because of who they were. Hebrews 11 encourages us to look to great men and women of faith as an example to strengthen our walk with God.
These godly men and women also remind us to think about the legacy that we will leave behind when we die. How will our life and death affect generations of Christians yet to come? All Saints Day is a great reminder to think about eternal things.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…” (Revelation 14:13)