The beginning of November is the time in the church calendar when we remember those who have gone before. Though it is perhaps best known for the costumes and the candy, traditionally it is “All Saints” and “All Souls” days that are most important.

十一月是教會日曆上我們紀念那些逝去的人的時刻，雖然最廣為人知的可能是變裝和糖果，但傳統上，「諸聖日」和「萬靈日」才是最重要的。

All Souls day is like 清明節, as it is a time to remember and honor family members who are no longer with us. All Saints is similar, but it specifically celebrates those whose lives of faith were particularly exemplary.

萬靈節就像清明節，因為這是一個紀念已逝家人的日子；諸聖日也是類似的，但會特別慶祝那些信仰生活可作為模範的人。

One of my favorite such figures growing up, because I was a runner and wanted to be a missionary in China, was Eric Liddell.

在我成長的過程中，我最喜歡的一個人物是埃里克·利德爾（Eric Liddell），因為我是一名田徑跑者，並且想在中國成為一名傳教士。

Eric Liddell was born in China to Scottish missionary parents. He returned to Scotland and would become best known as a rugby player and a sprinter. He represented Great Britain at the 1924 Paris Olympics famously winning the 400m gold medal after declining to run the 100m – his best event – because the final took place on a Sunday.

艾瑞克·利德爾（Eric Liddell）出生於中國，父母是蘇格蘭傳教士。他回到蘇格蘭，並以橄欖球運動員和短跑運動員的身份而聞名，代表英國參加 1924 年巴黎奧運會，並因為決賽在周日舉行而拒絕參加他最擅長的項目——100m 比賽，最終他贏得了 400m 金牌。

However, Liddell’s fame and success never deterred him from returning to the mission field. He would spend his life post-Olympics in China as a missionary.

然而，利德爾的名氣和成功並沒有阻止他重返宣教場；奧運結束後，他在中國作為傳教士度過餘生。

While this sacrifice of worldly glory alone would make him worthy of respect and emulation, he also lived out a servant’s heart until the end. Liddell was held in a Japanese concentration camp during after the Japanese invasion of China in World War II.

除了這種對世俗榮耀的犧牲就足以讓他值得尊敬和效仿，他直到生命最後也活出了一顆僕人的心。第二次世界大戰日本侵華戰爭期間，李德爾被關押在日本集中營。

“Uncle Eric” took great pains to minister to the younger people in the camp who were largely forgotten amidst the hardships. Shortly before liberation, he died of a brain aneurysm with few knowing that the gentle soul among them was a famous gold medalist.

「艾瑞克叔叔」不遺餘力地照顧難民營中的年輕人，他們在苦難中被遺忘了。難民營解放前不久，他因腦動脈瘤而去世，很少人知道，他的靈魂是一位著名的金牌得主。

It is figures like these that we honor on All Saints day, both for their faithfulness to God’s calling, and for the example they provide for those of us who follow in their footsteps.

我們在諸聖日紀念這樣的人物，既因為他們忠於上帝的召喚，也因為他們，為我們樹立了榜樣。