Writing about metaphorical burial the other day got me thinking again about questions around literal burial. Specifically, there is a question that comes up from time to time about whether burial or cremation is better and indeed, whether the latter is even right for Christians to consider.
Now, in the end, it is worth remembering a few things. First, that people’s wishes often arise out of practicalities, it costs less to have a cremation or out of understandable but non rationale reasoning. I’ve known people who want to be cremated because they can’t stand the idea of being contained in the ground. I’m the opposite, I have that irrational fear of being burnt in a box either because it was missed that I was still alive or again, just the thought of that happening to my body gives me the shivers. It is worth noting at this stage that those subconscious fears probably tell us something about the worth and significance of our bodies. Secondly, I think even the reasoning of “it’s cheaper” or “I don’t want the fuss” is worth challenging.
However, I also would be cautious about becoming dogmatic about this in pastoral conversations. In the end, whether you are buried or cremated won’t make a difference to your eternal future. Indeed, it doesn’t change the fact that your body will decay so that it won’t be the actual physical body that was placed in the coffin which is raised to new life. So, I would stay away from conversations that might crush people at a time when they least need it. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t have a theologically based preference.
So, without putting pressure on individuals, my preference for myself and desire for the majority of people is burial. Why? Well first I think there are connotations that go with cremation which reflect different religious worldviews. The focus seems to me much more on a spirit being set free.
Furthermore, I think that burial sets a statement, it acts symbolically. Although we know that the body will decay, our intent in keeping it together as far as possible points in a way that I don’t think cremation does to the sure and certain hope we have of resurrection. Additionally, because we believe that the body matters, the commitment to keeping a place where someone is remembered which closely connects to their earthly remains speaks against gnostic perceptions that the body doesn’t really matter.
For these reasons, my preference is for burial rather than creation but this is not something to make a fuss and be divisive about.
Faithroots 