A tale of two funerals

A tale of two funerals

In two weeks I have observed two funerals.

There was much in common between the two scenes.

Both involved tragic deaths at a young age. One, the more tragic and at the youngest age, involved a 25 man. He was a rising national sportsman who died in a freak sporting incident. The other was of a 57 year old lady who died after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Both people were closely linked to the same small town in northern NSW.

Both were loved by family and friends.

Both funerals were well-attended and both involved much emotion.

However, there was a big difference between the funerals.

The sportsman’s funeral had robed clergy on stage and there were religious rituals. The key speech was given by the ex-captain of the sportsman’s team who had shown great pastoral care as the death unfolded. With tears, he spoke of knowing that the spirit of his teammate was still here and indeed, that spirit was with the captain when he went to the death site.

The lady’s funeral was held in a church building but there was a noticeable lack of religious ritual. A church elder gave the key speech and spoke about the lady who had died. He also spoke of Jesus and the reality of Christian hope in death because of Jesus’ resurrection. The painful reality of death’s end was present, but it did not have the last word.

The funerals had much in common but the differences were stark.

We do not want you to be uninformed brothers about those who are asleep,

 that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13).