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As October comes to a close, there are some pretty significant dates on the horizon: All Hallow's Eve (October 31st), All Saint's Day (November 1st), and Midterm Election Day (November 3rd). I am sure many of you are familiar with the relationship between All Hallow's Eve and All Saint's Day; and no, it's not about trading candy the first day and hoarding the remainder the next!
All Hallow's Eve is traditionally a night of preparing for All Saint's Day. It began as a blending of Christian vigil observances and Pagan/folk rituals like carving lanterns, children singing for the dead in exchange for cakes and treats, and dressing in costumes that alluded to the battle of spiritual forces or the veneration of saints.
Of course, our corporate overlords have turned Halloween into a commodified holiday of candy and spooky vibes, but at least the heart of tradition remains intact. As a secular society, we still recognize a holiday centered around recognizing the dead, finding light in darkness, and laughing in the face of fear and death. I think that's amazing, despite the candy coma many experience these days. And who doesn't find joy in trick-or-treaters?! On All Hallow's Eve, we practice turning mourning into dancing and fear into laughter, all while remembering the spiritual forces of this world cannot harm us.
This all leads to All Saint's day, where we live into this joyful assurance while also confronting our grief and remembering those who have gone before us. It is a day of celebration as much as it is one of mourning, a day to remember the power of Love and its ability to cover us under grace and lift us to new life. The saints before us bear witness to this truth, and in worship we unite around the Table for the Lord's Supper to feast with them throughout time and space.
So what does this all have to do with Election Day? Well, our elections are held on the first Tuesday of November so as not to fall on All Saint's Day! Lawmakers were conscious of farmers and merchants going to church for All Saint's Day and possibly needing a full day of travel to get to their voting site and return for Wednesday's market. Those are the logistical reasons, and they are good considerations. But theologically, it makes sense that we hold elections in this country after a holiday that remembers the dead and celebrates eternal life.
When we go to the polls, we are voting based on the political context of the day. We vote based on our beliefs, our strong opinions, and our desire to push the United States toward the ideals that the Founding Fathers imagined and entrusted to we, the people. But especially when we seem to be so far from the mark of the Constitution, we often have severe anxiety about voting. We wonder if our vote matters, if change is ever really possible, if this experiment is hurtling toward an implosive end. We are afraid of what comes next, whether things, in our view, are going in the right direction or not.
But if we just remember the two holy days that we just celebrated, perhaps we will have less anxiety and more hope. All Hallow's Eve and All Saint's Day provide context to our voting that goes beyond political issues and fiscal policies; they remind us that no matter what the outcome, our hope and strength remain secure. The powers of this world cannot do anything to us, neither can they take away our joy. For "we put our hope in the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust his holy name" (Psalm 33:20-21). Likewise, we "do not put our trust in princes, in mortals who cannot save," (Psalm 146:3) for we know who holds our life and the lives of those we love.
God is the one in whom we find rest and refuge, not senators or presidents. God is the one who renews our spirit and gives us the strength to face whatever comes. In life and in death, we are held in the promise of new and eternal life, surrounded by everlasting Love that never, ever, under no circumstances and because of no power, lets us go.
So, you who trust in the LORD, rest in the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, and GO VOTE NEXT TUESDAY!
~ Rev. J. Davis Creach
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