death
my granduncle 'Boo' aka Thomas Boo passed away last week at the age of 80. yesterday we had the funeral service held at the Mandai Crematorium.
after the service, the body and the coffin was sent to the furnace thing to be converted into ashes.
many of the relatives and friends attending the whole process were upset, obviously.
some were crying and saying their last good byes to the body.
i thought i would give a christian perspective (my own view) of deaths. and remind myself.
when a christian 'dies', he merely goes to sleep. and he is going to a better place: Heaven. therefore at some christian funerals you would not see too much wailing or sadness. if there would be, it probably be emotional loss. however, there should be greater joy, since we know that the person who has slept is going to a better place, and that we will re-unite there, and meet each other again.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
the life that we lead on earth is but temporal. i think there are many religions which teach that too. i believe the reason it is so universal is that...cos it is true. i believe that.
anyway, as the body was being sent to 'burn', there were people bidding farewell to the body. perhaps there is an over obsession with the physical body. no doubt, it is our temple, our most outward, conspicuous expressionn of ourselves. but we are also soul and spirit. i believe the soul dies along with the body, but the real us: the Spirit, lives.
Men has placed a premium on the flesh, on what we can see. but once we 'sleep', we realise the Spirit has moved on.
so the people need not be overly sad at the cremation, cos only the outward appearance of granduncle Boo was gone. He still lives, in the heavenly places.
if i ever do 'sleep' before the second coming of Christ, the funeral has got to be a happy, joyful, celebration.
at this point, for somebody's sake, i will have to proclaim: 'God Forbid'.
of course i would prefer to see Christ coming in my lifetime.
ok, sorry about the morbid entry about death, but really, its not that morbid after all. Good day.
after the service, the body and the coffin was sent to the furnace thing to be converted into ashes.
many of the relatives and friends attending the whole process were upset, obviously.
some were crying and saying their last good byes to the body.
i thought i would give a christian perspective (my own view) of deaths. and remind myself.
when a christian 'dies', he merely goes to sleep. and he is going to a better place: Heaven. therefore at some christian funerals you would not see too much wailing or sadness. if there would be, it probably be emotional loss. however, there should be greater joy, since we know that the person who has slept is going to a better place, and that we will re-unite there, and meet each other again.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
the life that we lead on earth is but temporal. i think there are many religions which teach that too. i believe the reason it is so universal is that...cos it is true. i believe that.
anyway, as the body was being sent to 'burn', there were people bidding farewell to the body. perhaps there is an over obsession with the physical body. no doubt, it is our temple, our most outward, conspicuous expressionn of ourselves. but we are also soul and spirit. i believe the soul dies along with the body, but the real us: the Spirit, lives.
Men has placed a premium on the flesh, on what we can see. but once we 'sleep', we realise the Spirit has moved on.
so the people need not be overly sad at the cremation, cos only the outward appearance of granduncle Boo was gone. He still lives, in the heavenly places.
if i ever do 'sleep' before the second coming of Christ, the funeral has got to be a happy, joyful, celebration.
at this point, for somebody's sake, i will have to proclaim: 'God Forbid'.
of course i would prefer to see Christ coming in my lifetime.
ok, sorry about the morbid entry about death, but really, its not that morbid after all. Good day.
posted by yeshye at 3.4.07
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