Reflections of Death: Must Christians Always Bury the Dead? Part 1

On first of March, a close relative of mine passed away after battling coma for ten and half months. It was on 15th September, 2012 that a speeding car hit him, resulting in head injury and limb fractures. Since then family members took turn to care for him hoping that he would eventually get out of coma and live though he may not really be able to walk and function as before. But God has a different plan! This event made me reflect on few things about death; and I thought of putting them in words. And the following few posts will be about my reflections on death and related matters. 

Traditionally Christians bury the dead. From the dust we came, and upon burial we eventually become dust. So it's in a way natural that the dead ones are buried. But it's not just those who are buried that become dust eventually; even animals and plants that die and decay eventually become dust. A frog that gets preyed upon a snake who is in turn eaten by an eagle that finally ends up in the frying pan of a farmer too becomes dust. Everything that decays finally becomes part of the earth! So to say that only that which is buried becomes dust, and therefore Christians should always be buried will not be right. 

There have been Christians in the past who had been thrown into lions den. And they got eaten by the lions. There were also Christians who had been burnt to ashes or who got drowned in the sea who did get buried. Whatever form of dead a person would have faced, eventually the body decays and merges with the dust. Being buried is just one way of becoming dust. There is no theological ground, therefore, to insist that Christians should necessarily bury the dead ones. If there is cultural tradition to bury the dead, fine. But if due to space constraint, people choose to cremate or be placed on electric chair, I think it's okay. God can surely raise the dead, whichever way one decays and merges with the dust, to face him on the Last Day. The one eaten by the lions or burnt as torch by king Nero or burnt in electric chair will get no more or no less special treatment than those who got buried. The bottom line is, in my view, follow the cultural norm of the day!