“May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power...giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.” Colossians 1:11-12
A couple days before Halloween some years ago the New York Times ran a column in which the writer traced the history of the day to its pagan roots when ancient Celtics held a festival to mark the “death of the sun” as winter approached. People would remember those who have died in recent times. Over the years other cultures and faiths “piggybacked” on this tradition such as the Day of the Dead in Mexico which is a celebration of the lives of those before us. Christians, of course, turned Halloween into All Hallow’s Eve, the day before All Saints’ Day, when we more somberly remember those in the church who have died in the past year.
In this article the writer said, “Let us recognize that we are not the ultimate triumph but rather that we are beads on a string. Let us behave with decency to the beads that were strung before us, and hope modestly that the beads that come after us will not hold us of no account because we are dead...Look backward, and consider those who went before us. The road ahead is inevitably dark, but to see where we have been may offer unexpected hints about who we are and where we should be heading. Triviality about the past leads certainly toward a trivial future.”
Interestingly, in a study down a few years ago on children who lost a parent in 911, it found that those who grew up to be the healthiest and most able to live into their future, were children who grew up with memories of their family past. They had rituals or stories they often shared about past family members. These practices gave them an awareness that they had a past history, and this awareness positively shaped their futures.
If you have children in your homes you might try this practice yourself this weekend. Find a time around a meal to share favorite stories of past family members. Even if you don’t have children with you, share with others, call a family member, talk about loved ones and what you loved about them. If nothing else it should give us a feeling of gratitude that we have an inheritance of the saints.