All Saints Day

Presented to Boolaroo Uniting Church, 2nd November 2025

“Allowing God’s light to shine through you”
Focus text: John 11:1–44

A little girl was visiting a beautiful Cathedral with her aunt. It was late afternoon and the
sun’s rays were streaming through a stained glass window that featured the figures of
several saints. The little girl pointed to one of figures standing out in the strong light and
asked, “Who is that?” “That’s Saint Peter,” the aunt replied. Then pointing to one another,
the girl asked who that one was. “That’s Saint John,” was the reply. When she pointed to
another she was told, “That’s Saint James.” Then, with a sigh of satisfaction, the little girl
said, “Well, now I know what a saint is. A saint is somebody the light shines through.”

This is a good place to start as we reflect upon this All Saints Sunday. On this sacred day
where heaven and earth touch in a profoundly powerful way, we are aligned with that
great cloud of witnesses and aware of their presence in a truly extraordinary way. Those
people who have gone before us who have shone the light of love in our lives in some
special way. But this special day is in and of itself profoundly significant in the Christian
church. In the west, we tend to acknowledge it for a day and then go back to our normal
routines. However, in places like Spain and Portugal, Central America and the Philippines,
family members and friends visit grave sites to pray and remember the dead while others
celebrate by sharing meals and singing at those graves. Some even take flowers and
candles. In the evening, all those candles are lit in the thousands to create an illuminating
display of burning light, to signify the presence of God and of each beloved soul. So it’s a
powerful, powerful day.

Quite often we might say to ourselves:

I know it is important for me to get back to what matters most, to learn how to pray &
meditate in ways that draw me closer to God. I’ll get around to that someday. Or I know it
is important for me to develop a spiritual practice, read the Bible, nurture my soul but I’ll
get around to that someday. Or I know it is important for me to really listen and take
action with what my inner life is saying to me. I’ll get around to that too someday. And so
on and so forth….but All Saints Day reminds us, we don’t always have many “somedays”
left. How will we make the most of the time we do have allotted in this life? How will we
choose to be remembered? How will we use our time in such a way that will be a source
of blessing to all creation? How will God’s light shine through you?

There’s a story told of a couple who were married for fifty years, died on the same day.
Consequently, they arrived at the Pearly Gates together. Whereupon, the God opened up
all the heavenly treasures and offered them gifts, including beautiful solid gold watches
and rings. Then they received matching gold-plated luxury automobiles. After being
served a platter of delectable food and drink, they were escorted by the Heavenly Host to
a huge, chauffeured limousine, which took them to a ten-star heavenly restaurant.
Following an incredibly delicious meal they returned to the limousine. “Now I am going
to take you to your heavenly home for all eternity,” said God. “It contains 36 rooms, 11
baths, an indoor swimming pool and bowling alley. Outside there is your private 18-hole
golf course, 6 tennis courts and ...” At this point, husband poked the wife in the ribs.
“What’s that for?” she asked. He said, “You and your crazy oat bran, vitamins and
exercise! We could have been here 10 years ago!”

Not to make light of the importance of looking after oneself, but we often think we have
forever. The feast of All Saints day reminds us that our focus whilst is needed to attend to
daily life here in this world, we must also not lose sight of the world to come, of the
example of the saints who have gone before us, and invest equal amount of energy into
preparing for our own spiritual destiny, as we do our RSPs. But we can quite often get
caught up in the busy-ness of life, and as a result we don’t pay much attention to the
reality to which All Saints points us to today.

Quite often it’s not until we experience loss do we pay much attention to the world to
come. But it makes sense that in the Christian church we spend time spiritually preparing
for this inevitability and reframe death from seeing it as the end chapter in a book, to the
opening prologue. For this is the framework that All Saints day is built upon.

When Jesus attends to the grief and fear of Martha and Mary this morning, he does so
bringing assurances and remembrances of love. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are members
of a family whom Jesus loves. As the story unfolds, Jesus invites those around him to
recognize the deeper reality that surrounds death. It is the reality of life and love that is to
come. We see this attitude in the Gospel. Word is sent to Jesus that Lazarus is ill. Martha
and Mary want Jesus to come immediately. Look at how the word is sent, “Lord, he whom
you love is ill.” In other words, drop whatever you are doing Jesus, Lazarus needs you. Just
think a minute about how we would interpret this incident if Jesus had gone immediately
upon Martha and Mary's request.

Potentially, we might conclude that anytime someone got well, then we would say God
really loved them. Anytime someone remained ill, we would say God did not love them.
And yet, we know that simple math does not add up, but it is so alluring. Look at the way
Martha and Mary greet Jesus. Both women lay a guilt trip on him. Listen to the words.
"Lord, if you had been here…" In other words, you didn't come when we needed you.
Don't we feel the same way at times? Lord, if you had been here this accident would not
have happened. Lord, if you had only answered my prayer then my friend would not
suffer. Sometimes we want easy answers. Sometimes we want the immediate answer to
our prayer.

Yet, this Gospel does not support the easy answer theory. This reading does give another
answer. This Gospel tells us there is more to life than this existence. Life does not end
here, with death. Life goes on. Martha and Mary wanted Jesus to respond to their request
in their way. Martha and Mary did not want their brother to suffer death. Martha, Mary,
and the disciples too, all asked the question why. Why didn't Jesus drop everything and
come when he was called? Why didn't Jesus prevent Lazarus' death? The answer is not
easy. The answer is not simple. God works beyond illness and death and God works in
ways that we cannot imagine. However, through the resurrection of Lazarus from the
grave we see the glory of God in Christ. We also see a glimpse of the plan God has for us.
Like Lazarus, we too, will rise again to be with God. Death can not hold us and no matter
what this world throws our way, God is with us. God knows our troubles. God knows our
concerns. God knows our joys and sorrows, because before everything there is God.

Like Martha and Mary we ask the question why? We wonder about the events and the
pain and the sorrow of our lives. Sometimes I know we don't understand. I know Martha
and Mary did not understand either. This story of Lazarus, Martha and Mary offers us hope
and comfort when we ask the question why. Hope because we know God will come to
us. Jesus did come. We know God hears our prayer. Martha's and Mary's prayer was
heard. However, it was not answered the way they wanted it. In fact, it was answered in a
manner way beyond their imaginations, because before we even make our requests to
God, we can take comfort in knowing that God is already working for us, even in
adversity, even in our illnesses, and even in death. The glory of God works beyond the
grave. The light of Christ shines through all the darkness, even the light of the tomb.

There’s no easy answers, but there is the reality of God’s presence reaching out to us
when we know not how to pray. This morning as we commemorate the saints, let us allow
the questions, the fears we bring to be heard and then dispelled through the light of Christ
who comes to dispel all darkness and to bring us along with all the saints into the deeper
reality and presence of God. Amen.