Happy All Saints' Day!
We, the folks of God today, dance with the saints - past, present, and future in the Communion of Saints - across time, place, and space.
St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco has a mural icon titled "The Dancing Saints." It is a monumental, surprising and powerful statement of faith for the ages, created by artist Mark Dukes with the people of St. Gregory’s. Completed in 2009, it wraps around the entire church rotunda, showing ninety larger-than life saints, four animals, stars, moons, suns and a twelve-foot tall dancing Christ.
The saints—ranging from traditional figures like King David, Teresa of Avila and Frances of Assisi to unorthodox and non-Christian people like Malcolm X, Anne Frank, and Margaret Mead—represent musicians, artists, mathematicians, martyrs, scholars, mystics, lovers, prophets and sinners from all times, from many faiths and backgrounds.
As the congregation dances around the altar, the saints dance above, proclaiming a sweeping, universal vision of God shining through human life.
An alphabetical list of the saints can be found here.
