Living With the Saints

The Pixar animated film Coco (2017) is inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), which relates to All Saints Day, observed on November 1 by Christians around the world. One important theme running through the film is that the Day of the Dead is not a day of sadness, but a day of celebration and an opportunity to remember friends and family who have passed on.

For many of us, Coco offers a good glimpse into a deeply-held Mexican tradition. But in addition to this cultural value, the movie offers a perspective on death and the afterlife that may be different for many of us. It’s a reminder that so much about life remains a mystery to us.

The Bible is sometimes obscure about these things, but the book of Hebrews refers to past sisters and brothers of the faith, and then describes them as a “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). The writer paints a picture of many saints cheering us from the sidelines while we run this race of faith called life.

Even if we’re not certain exactly how this works out, it seems that we have the support of many others who have completed the race ahead of us. This All Saints Day, take a moment to reflect on those who have already finished their race and thank God for their enduring example!

Blessings,
Pastor Paul Cook