Have you ever been so sick that you wondered, “What they were going to do with the body?”
image by Wikilmages Courtesy of Pixabay
When I was attending the university, I stopped into a small deli and bought a custard. It was in a display case that was not refrigerated. I didn’t know much about food and so I bought it and ate it. That evening I became sick, very, very sick. For a few days, I wondered, “What are they going to do with the body?” Would my dad want it shipped to the States and bury it in the family plot or would I be buried in Milan close to other family members? A few days later, I recovered and the food poisoning was behind me.
People for millennia have thought about that same question. The very rich and powerful have had their bodies interred with great magnificence. The pharaohs built pyramids for their final resting place, while leaders of other cultures have had great sepulchers made. The wealthy have spent a fortune in order to rest in beautiful coffins like the Byzantine one above. On the other end of the socio-economic spectrum, the average person has had to content himself with a simple burial. If fortunate, they would buried in a plain wooden coffin. Many people were just wrapped in cloth and placed into a grave. Still others were burned on a funeral pyre. Either way, someone had to answer the question, “What are they going to do with the body?”
It’s something to think about, but an even more important question is; “What is going to happen to my soul when I die?” Many of us have thought about it and sought out truth to help us deal with that question.
I know atheists and agnostics who do not believe that we have a soul. Or if they do, they believe that it goes into the grave with the body. They don’t believe in an afterlife and live their lives entirely within the four-dimensional framework that they find themselves in. They do not worry about the question of the soul because they don’t believe they will have to give an account to God for the way they lived.
But what if they are wrong? What if there is a great God in the universe and they will have to answer one day for the life they led and the beliefs they cherished? What then? Well, then it will be too late to make another decision and backtrack and recheck their logic.
For me, I have already made that decision. I studied many religions and I chose to believe in the teachings of the One Person who actually went into the grave and came back three days later. I believe He knows the questions we need to ask and He has the answers for them. He is not afraid of any questions we might ask Him while we are looking and seeking to find the Truth.
So if you don’t know the answer to the most important question, i.e. “What is going to happen to my soul when I die?” I would encourage you to make a real attempt to get that question answered. It could be the most important question you will ever ask and the answer could have real eternal consequences.
* In physics, the fourth dimension is time.
Valerie Cullers 
The theology of body and soul is interesting. In Judaism there is a strong sense of connection between the two, hence the prohibition against tattoos. Gnosticism, with its roots in Greek philosophy, teaches that the body is merely a container for the soul. I, having grown up a Protestant (United Methodist, to be precise), learned the Greek, Gnostic model, not the Hebrew one. Then there are the subleties of St. Paul’s theology of each Christian’s resurrection body, something with substance. And speaking of Jesus, walking through doors yet having an appetite for fish was quite a good trick.
Part of my spiritual journey has been going deeper into my Christian roots, that is, Judaism. Sometimes I have chosen the answer “I don’t know,” which is an acceptable answer in my adopted denomination, The Episcopal Church. On other occasions I have decided that the Jews were right and the Hellenized Gentiles were wrong.
I have become uncertain what to make of the actual body-soul connection. I do know that I am no longer a Gnostic on the subject.
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I appreciate your well thought out and historically accurate comment. We all need to answer those questions so that we are ready when the time comes!
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Although I’ve never thought about the question of what would be done with the body, I am now š And what a great segue into the most important question of all…what will happen to us after life on earth. Outstanding post, Valerie! ā¤ ā¤
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Thanks! A while back we went to see the fam back in Italy and I thought about it again. What if something happened to me then? I voted to stay in Italy! Don’t take me home!
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in the last few years with the loss of my father and my brother, in a space of a year and a few months, all this came to me once more. I believe they are well because the soul does not die, only the body ceases to live. text of much reflection. I liked reading and thinking again. thank you so much.
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Yes, I understand. I have had many losses in the last few decades. I move my loved ones from my past to my future and I think about the time I will see them again. It gives me hope and a positive attitude. I am glad the post spoke to you!
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Hindus cremate. I will be cremated. We believe that the soul moves on… We will meet again. Until such time that the soul achieves moksha (release from rebirth). That said, this may seem odd but I feel my Dad and my beloved Aunt’s presence with me (both have passed from cancer) and it is reassuring and loving. I get all sorts of messages and know in advance what to expect but from a loving place.
Sadly, I receive other messages from people who have passed who need my help. THAT is quite something else.
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Thank you so much for your comment and helping me to understand your beliefs!
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