Loathing Halloween, remembering the saints

I loathe the Halloween that thrusts tacky witches at you, sticks cheap cotton wool over garden fences, and hangs skeletons in the front window. What is it all meant to achieve? Are we supposed to celebrate the malicious servants of the devil who delight in cursing people, for that’s what witches do? Are we meant to be happy that evil spirits can haunt houses and worse?

It’s not even traditional. Just a few years ago during autumn we had harvest festivals, and Guy Fawkes night, that was enough. Now we have this dingy ghost festival dumped on us.

I loathe Halloween; but I love the eve of All Saints Day. That’s what the word Halloween means. The eve of all hallows, all Saints Day. Unlike the Brighton pier gaudiness of the nasty Halloween, this has purpose.

It is a time to remember the departed saints, the Christians, who have run the race, and have encouraged us to run our race.

And there is more than remembering. Every week in the creed we say we believe in the ‘communion of the saints.’ There is a constant, mystical, spiritual fellowship going on between the saints of all ages, a shared understanding which not even death can separate. The eve of All Saints is a good time to cherish this truth.

The eve of All Hallows then is for the saints, not the witches and skeletons; for light, not darkness; for life, not death.

And, as said, a time for remembering departed saints who have encouraged us.

Here are some whose memory is an encouragement for me.

Anthony Stubbs – a devout monk whom I only met once. But, I have his desk and I am looking at his prayer chair. Constant encouragements to study and pray. Anthony interceded intensely for South Africa, and, who knows, perhaps his prayers played a part in ending apartheid.

For more - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aelred_Stubbs

Peter Goodwin Hudson – the chaplain at my school St Lawrence College who once asked me if I had thanked Jesus Christ for coming into my heart. I hadn’t. He put his finger on a problem. He was a true Christian witness to us schoolboys in those difficult and dodgy seventies.

John Coleman - larger than life father of my school friend Andrew and missionary doctor to Iran. He showed kindness to me when I became a Christian, and was a great support when I fell in love with an Iranian princess.

For more - https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/oct/02/guardianobituaries1

John Bendor-Samuel – father of good friend Paul. He and his family helped me when I became a Christian. Slightly reserved, John was humble, sincere, and highly successful. He was the founder of Wycliffe in the UK and most of Africa. A strong oak in Christendom.

For more - see here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bendor-Samuel

George Verwer – the founder of Operation Mobilisation (OM). It was because of this group I became a Christian. They walked the talk. George kept in touch with me for years. Unorthodox, quirky, quick to see humour, always encouraging.

For more - https://sternfieldthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/03/george-verwer-founder-of-operation.html

Frank Dietz – the OM team leader who took me under his wings in the first days of my Christian life. Rugged, serious, and determined.

For more - https://sternfieldthoughts.blogspot.com/2021/02/frank-dietz-soldiers-face-gentle-heart.html

Michael Green – the vicar at St Aldates, Oxford when I was a student. Brilliant preacher. Bubbling with enthusiasm for Christ. And he laid hands on me to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

For more - https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2019/15-february/gazette/obituaries/obituary-canon-michael-green

Dennis Clark - a man of spiritual authority. He visited Oxford to preach at the Christian Union, and on the Sunday afternoon he held a seminar on Bible meditation. He marked me. 

For more - https://amen.org.uk/studies/dgc/

Fred Smith - tidy white hair, piercing blue eyes, and gentle authority. Every month he held healing meetings in the Oxford Town Hall. First he preached the Gospel - heaven or hell and invited people forward for salvation. Then he prayed for the sick. He prayed for my ulcer - and it was healed. Later I went to his church in the evenings. 

Lionel Gurney - tall, imposing founder of the Red Sea Mission, now Reach Across. He was both a complete radical, and a typical English gentleman, courteous and witty. 

Seth Yeghnazar – a formidable man of prayer and the Bible, Seth was very serious, but there was often a twinkle in his eye. He had no time for small talk, a lot of time for God talk.

For more - https://transformiran.com/learn/20th-century-christianity-in-iran/

Mark Bliss - I saw a man standing at the front of a crowded hall. His face was shining. This was Mark Bliss, the Assemblies of God missonary to Iran. Three of his children died in a terrible car accident there. He was badly injured. When he came out of hospital, he went to the piano and played, 'Great is Thy Faithfulness'. 

For more - https://news.ag.org/en/article-repository/news/2017/12/veteran-missionary-mark-blss-with-the-lord

Iris Sayyah-Sina– the widow of Iran’s first Christian martyr after the revolution. Down to earth, charming, always gentle – even in her way of asking you to hurry up at Scrabble. And she completely forgave her husband’s murderers.

For more – go to page 20 https://www.jmeca.org.uk/sites/default/files/import/biblelands_Summer2012%20web-res.pdf

Tony Sargent – a prince of preachers. I can still remember the deep silence in Karachi Cathedral after his sermon on the length, and breadth, and height, and depth of God’s love. I knew him in Karachi, and much later when he supported the charity I work for. A true English gentleman.

For more - https://www.e-n.org.uk/people/2024-07-warm-hearted-and-influential-pastor-dies/

David Carling – he suffered much in Africa, but used those scars to bless many others. Always kind and encouraging to me

For more - https://activeservicetrust.org/about/

Khosrow Ariaman - a gentle man who should never have become a Christian. He got addicted to gambling, there were massive debts, and he cried out to God. And God spoke, softly and clearly. He was a pillar in the Persian speaking church in Brighton; and was always kind to my wife and I. 

Gray Robinson – grounded and serious pastor of a nearby church who encouraged us when we were new to this area. Cancer came, but his faith held up. He believed in heaven.

For more - https://strengthforthebattle.com/about-gray-robinson/

Steve Carpenter – super sharp neighbour, also went with cancer. Steve was a war horse for the young in Guildford. The day after his death I felt a pang in my heart and then almost audibly heard, ‘I’m all right, mate’

Kevin O’Callagan– was always working for our organisation. In the kitchen, the garden, wherever a menial job needed doing, Kevin was there. He had a simple and warm faith, and could always be relied on to help.

The Bible says that the memory of the righteous is a blessing, Proverbs 10:7. It’s true. Thinking of these few here, is a blessing. I am so thankful they have cast some sunlight into my life.

Hope you can make your own list and be blessed. 

 Tom Hawksley, October 2025