Can I Divide Him in Half?

With the recent deaths of two prominent celebrities at young ages, Kirby Puckett and Dana Reeves, I have overheard some interesting conversations around the office. In addition to the death of these celebrities, one of our colleagues lost his mother during the same time period.

Such a string of deaths serves to draw people to the thought of their own mortality. The conversation that struck me as most unusual was one I overheard in our lunchroom. Three women were discussing the disposition of their bodies after death. They also questioned how to dispose of the bodies of their husbands and loved ones. There was quite the debate about whether or not cremation is allowed by various faiths. Some, who were members of the Catholic community, said that cremation was not allowed, while others disagreed or said they really didn't care. One woman was convinced that no one in her family would care what was done with her body, as long as it was gone. The majority of the ladies decided they wanted to be cremated. Once that decision was made, they began to debate what should happen with the cremains afterward.

One spoke of an aunt who had been sitting on a mantle for years where a virtual shrine had been erected in her honor. Another said she thought it was illegal to do anything save bury the ashes. Still another stated that she wanted her ashes scattered in her garden. One woman stated she was going to have her husband cremated (I'm not sure how she'll guarantee he'll go first), but wanted to know if she could divide him in half so she could scatter his ashes in two separate places. This debate is certainly not new. I remember a letter printed in an advice column years ago, where the man stated that his wife had asked him before her death to paint her ashes on the ceiling of their bedroom. He had remarried and wanted to know if it was all right to paint over his first wife.

I find it interesting that such a conversation could consume the better part of an hour with absolutely no one questioning what happens to our souls after death. Isn't that a far more important question? There appears to be a general feeling that even in death, our bodies are the essence of who we are. But we are so much more than flesh and bone.

The very fact that a body can be reduced to ashes emphasizes the fact of its fragility, and disposability. However, our souls cannot be destroyed. They live on throughout eternity. We should be much more concerned about the destination of our souls, than the destination of our ashes.

We have been guaranteed eternal life in heaven only if we have accepted the gift that Jesus gave for us on Calvary. If we choose not to receive the gift he offers, then we choose to live eternally separated from the love and glory of God. We are assured that one of two destinies awaits us, heaven or hell. It's up to us which one we enter.

I look forward to a life without pain, sorrow, illness or death in heaven. Some day my body will be gone and few will remember I ever walked this earth. It doesn't matter to me how my family chooses to dispose of my body. I don't think I'll be needing it up there.