Dear saints,
Greetings from an autumnal and damp London! It is always a small thrill to come back to old blighty. As we arrived at Heathrow, I was looking forward to at least a pefunctionary welcome from customs and immigration. Instead, all I got was a machine that briefly scanned my passport and a camera that scrutinized my face. A few seconds later, an automatic gate swished and I was in. No 'welcome home', no quick quiz on my knowledge of who the British Prime Minister happened to be this week. Just a green arrow and an empty passageway.
What a wonderful contrast it was a few days later to be present for worship at Westminster Abbey listening to the Abbey choir sing Faure's Requiem as people from across the global Anglican Communion prayed together, received the Eucharist and were blessed to be agents of God's reconciliation in the world.
Being people of reconciliation requires putting our bodies in shared spaces. Eyeball to eyeball. One vision for the world articulated in listening distance to another. As we celebrate the life we share as the saints of God in our particular place in the world let us commit once more to that kind of incarnate faith - though many, one body.
I look forward to looking you in the eye this All Saints' Day so I might say to you, 'welcome home' with profound thanksgiving for all God calls us to be and do.
Peace,
