Saints are real people
4th November 2021
This week the church was remembering All Saints and All Souls. Their days are next to each other, on the 1st and 2nd November – but I wonder whether they should really be combined.
When the word for saints is used in the bible, it doesn’t mean the same as the meaning now. The letter to the Ephesians is written ‘to the saints at Ephesus’ and Paul says that all the Christians in Corinth – who were a very mixed bunch – are called to be saints. Saints were all of God’s holy people – which means all of us.
There are a lot of images of saints which are unhelpful – plaster saints put on pedestals, saints in stained glass windows. I’m glad our picture of Saint Paul up here in the window, talking to the people of Athens, is balanced by the painting of him looking much more ordinary over there. Those we call saints were certainly not perfect.
I think that being a saint – and being holy – is about being more human, not less human. I wonder who your image of a modern saint might be? How about Sir David Attenborough, or Greta Thunberg? The power that they have as modern day prophets is that they are fully themselves, authentic, human.
I’m sure that David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg wouldn’t see themselves as saints – and that’s true for the Christians we may call saints too – they were usually very aware of their flaws.
But maybe the flaws are what is important. Like some modern stained glass, full of imperfections, and bubbles, and uneven colour – when the light shines through those flaws the result is beautiful.
We can certainly let our egos get in the way of God’s light. One way we do this it to try to achieve a more perfect life ourselves, forgetting our need for God’s grace. I recently came across an old school report from when I was 8. Like all my later reports there was a lot of ‘must do better’ – and quite often just the word ‘lazy’.
We can easily slip into that way of thinking about our life with God – as if he’s always the one saying ‘must do better’ – as if the saints are the star pupils and we’re at the bottom of the class, and it’s all down to us.
That isn’t how God sees us. He loves each of us with a love which sees all the good in us as well as our brokenness. If we can allow our whole selves to be open to his love, then he can shine through us, transfiguring our imperfections and drawing out all that is good.
I love the line in some versions of ‘Be thou my vision’ – ‘Great heart of my own heart’. Holiness is about discovering that our deepest passion and love and longing flows from God’s passion and love and longing, and opening ourselves more and more to that flow.
- Lord of love, we thank you for all those who have allowed your love to flow through them – for the great souls of our world, for those who have been fully human – and for those who have allowed your love to shine in our own lives…
- Lord of love, we pray for our world, facing many challenges… climate change, this pandemic, and many forms of injustice. We pray for people who have the courage to speak out and to act – we pray for the church to be engaged and active – we pray for wisdom for all who lead…
- Lord of love, we pray for ourselves. You know us through and through – and you love us. May we be more and more open to your grace – bringing us healing, opening up our hearts, and allowing your love to shine out through our lives…