If you are a Zambian Christian I am sure that every time you attend a funeral there are certain practices that you take exception to or that leave you with at least the suspicion that Jesus would not approve of them.
The following is taken from an article by Zambian theologian Joe Simfukwe on Funeral and Burial Rites:
The following is taken from an article by Zambian theologian Joe Simfukwe on Funeral and Burial Rites:
“Sometimes misinformed Christians try to forbid other Christians from crying, forgetting that the Bible does not deny the emotions of grief. Jospeh a man of faith, ‘threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him’ when he died (Gen 50:1). People are often presented weeping or even wailing aloud (see mark 5:38; Luke 8:52; Acts 9:39). Nowhere is such wailing condemned. Excesses are certainly frowned upon but sorrow is expected”. P 1462 Africa Bible Commentary Word Alive Publishers.
“Some of the rituals associated with burial reflect a fear of the deceased. Thus in Zambia the body must be buried in the right direction to prevent the deceased from returning to haunt the living. The burial may be followed by other rituals designed to protect the living, such as passing through the funeral house and washing in medicated water before dispersing. Many tribes have an inheritance ceremony where the name and status of the deceased are passed on to some chosen relative. Ritual protection of the widow or widower is common, with the widow sometimes being inherited by a relative of the dead husband. The ritual cleansing may even require the surviving spouse to have intercourse with a relative of the deceased in order to protect himself or herself from the spirit of the deceased coming to seek sexual union, which is believed to be both possible and dangerous. The cleansing ritual is also a way of releasing the surviving partner so that he or she may safely enter new sexual relations with the blessing of the dead relative. Because of the spiritual and physiological power of such rituals, Christians should not simply ban them, but should thoughtfully and sensitively replace them with alternative rituals that will meet the spiritual and psychological needs of the fearful widow or widower” P 1462 Africa Bible Commentary Word Alive Publishers.
I was intrigued by this :
ReplyDelete"Christians should not simply ban them, but should thoughtfully and sensitively replace them with alternative rituals that will meet the spiritual and psychological needs of the fearful widow or widower"
I am a bit wary of "rituals" sensitive to the needs of the fearful widow. I admit that I have not read the Africa Bible Commentary (I will try and get myself a copy).
Surely what we simply need to say is that if it is not biblical then it is not in?
I agree with Ba Simfukwe in this regard. If peoples fear of a deceased spouse haunting them is strong enough to cause emotional distrubance, the chruch should develop a response. In my mind this response would be counselling and teaching.
ReplyDeleteI can see where your concern lies, with the reference to ritual. Ba Simfukwe's reference to ritual might suggest Christians develop an alternate cleansing ceremony, which would be wrong since the Biblical worldview does not require such a ceremony.