NOVEMBER 1st was All Saints Day (not immediately topical but my turn on the rota only comes around every few months!) It’s a significant day for my church (All Saints, Ilkley) our church school (All Saints CofE Primary) and for the wider church generally although as it’s the day after Halloween, it often gets lost. It’s a day when Christians celebrate all the saints, both known and unknown, who have encouraged and inspired us in our Christian journey, and in whose footsteps we follow.

But it does raise an important question – what qualifies someone to be a saint? Typically people might think that you need to have lived a long time ago, done something amazing in your life for which you are still remembered today and be portrayed in a stained glass window with a meaningful facial expression!

Whilst that is true for many of the saints of past centuries (although the stained glass window isn’t compulsory) that’s not the full story. Because when Bible talks about saints, it means something different to what we might assume. how we often think. The apostle Paul (whose letters make up a large part of the New Testament in the Bible) often began his letters in broadly the same way

• To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: (Romans 1:7)

• To the church of God in Corinth, called to be saints together with all those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:2)

• To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.”

• To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, (Philippians 1:1)

• To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: (Colossians 1:2)

His words broaden the definition of those who are ‘saints’ in God’s eyes. The New Testament mentions ‘saints’ on 45 occasions, and every time it’s describing ordinary Christians in their everyday lives. People who are faithful followers of Jesus, dedicated and loyal to Him, not giving up when life gets tough or boring, not failing and faltering when facing pressure to follow other paths, persevering with joyful confidence.

There are many people in the Bible who I find great inspiration from in my Christian faith (i.e. Nehemiah who rebuilt the ruined walls of Jerusalem), but I also find great encouragement and challenge from Christians whom I have known personally; who have demonstrated in their words, actions and everyday lives what it means to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

And that means that all us (including you and me) are potential Christian saints! Not because we are perfect and angelic, not because we have a stained glass window dedicated to us (although I would never rule out the possibility) and not because we may be remembered in the centuries to come.

Because if you are committed to following Jesus in your life now and into the future, who wants to be a blessing to others and a beacon of the Christian story, then you are a Christian ‘saint’!

And if you’re a saint in God’s eyes, that means you can look forward to the greatest reunion of all time – when those who die in Christ are reunited forever at the party to end all parties! And that’s something worth celebrating in anticipation! Happy (belated) All Saints Day