Someone recently observed that Americans don’t attend funerals much anymore. It’s not a very pleasant thing to do, so we just don’t go.
Funerals are sad, but they are also very important. A funeral puts things into perspective. We need to face the reality of our friends passing away. We’re reminded then about the things that are eternal, and that our life today really ought to be spent on ministering to others, taking care of family, kids, grandkids. And that our life is not totally made up of keeping a job and retirement; it’s made up of dealing with people—loving them, serving them, ministering to them, and eventually joining them in Heaven.
And funerals for Christians, by the way, are happy and powerful, becuase our hope is eternal. Our life never really ends!
