1 November 2026 – All Saints

Run with perseverance 'the race that is set  before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.'

Looking to Jesus – that’s our number one for he is our pioneer and perfecter of our faith. He has given us direction but he is more than a pioneer. He is also the perfecter of our faith. He is the one who fulfils our work and makes it whole so that all things in heaven and on earth may cohere in him.

Whenever I read this text, I think of two saints. The first is Eric Liddell and the race which he did not run and the race which he did run at the Paris Olympics in 1924 responding to the text scribbled on a piece of paper by one of his staff. ‘He who honours the Father, him will the Father honour.’

The second is Betsie ten Boom who, unlike her sister, Corrie, died in the concentration camp at Ravensbruck. She was much frailer than her sister but had an inner strength borne of her strong faith. On one occasion, she was mocked and humiliated by a prison guard.

Whereas Corrie was fuming inside, Betsie was laughing at herself too. This was too much for the guard, who slashed her across the chest and neck with a leather whip. Corrie rushed to her defence. Betsie intervened. Her sister saw the bloody mark on Betsie’s neck. Betsie laid her hand upon it and said, ‘Don’t look at it, Corrie. Look at Jesus only!’