November 4, 2022

Can you hear them?

Can you hear them as they pass by? Can you feel them standing just beside you? They are the ones who have gone before, saints who have touched our lives. They are the family to which we belong, ancient and never ending. Our ancestors watch over us, their constant vigil keeping. Their wisdom surrounds us. Their healing a river through channels of time. Can you hear them? They speak of a love they have seen, love beyond imagining, love that holds us safe, until we rise to meet them.

The above was written by Bishop Steven Charleston, and I return to it again and again - on the Feasts of All Saints and Souls and on so many regular ol' days as well. That the ancestors are here, with us, guiding, guarding, celebrating, keeping vigil, is something I trust to the core of my being. I depend on the wisdom of the ancestors nearly as much as I depend on air and water. In these sacred days as we honor them, I am filled with gratitude - for those I knew, for those you knew, for those who we know only through the ancient stories. I am filled with awe at the connections we still share with them. Awe at the thinness of the veil, in these holy days.

Their wisdom surrounds us. Their healing a river through channels of time. Can you hear them? My prayer for you this week is that you can hear them - the saints of your lives, the Saints of our common life. That you can hear them, feel them, sense them around you. This great cloud of witnesses, offering wisdom, companionship, and cheering you on. Always cheering you on!