Farewell with a wisp of smoke

Since last year, I have attended the funerals of three close relatives and friends—my best friend, my uncle, and my uncle. All three of them went so unexpectedly. My best friend and my uncle in California are both Christians. Their memorial services were filled with tears and laughter, and relatives and friends all had the hope of being reunited in eternity. However, the sudden death of my uncle in Taiwan made it the first time for me to participate in a folk faith funeral as a family member. I grew up in the church and have lived in North America for a long time. This experience brought me some cultural and religious impact.

My cousin first notified the news of her uncle's death on the family network, and invited relatives and friends to go to the Buddhist room of the funeral home to help with the prayers. They took turns kneeling there to help with the prayers for eight hours, hoping that my uncle would be able to successfully embark on another journey. Relatives have signed up to do the purification for my uncle, or asked Master to help him recite, many hours a day. The message informs relatives and friends whose zodiac sign and age conflict with that of the uncle, and they need to avoid attending funerals and worship services.

The day of my uncle's funeral must have been an auspicious day because there were many people attending the funeral at the same time. Early that morning, I walked through a row of separated mourning halls. Several mourning halls not far apart were holding funeral ceremonies. My uncle's funeral hall played his favorite Japanese song "Song of a Thousand Winds": "Please don't stand in front of my grave and cry. I'm not there. I didn't sleep without waking up. I turned into a thousand winds. I turned into a thousand breezes and soared." In the infinite vastness of the sky..." Looking at my uncle in the photo, with a handsome face and a smile, I burst into tears. Thinking about every time we got together in the past, enjoying how good he was to us, I would only silently thank and pray for him in my heart. How could I ever seriously share my faith? It seems that I have never tried to understand his faith and persistence. .

The funeral was held with various worship services and three kneels and nine knocks. Among the family members, I was the only one who was a Christian. Some elders had some misunderstandings about my mother abandoning Buddhism and trusting in Christ and her life beliefs. At this time, it was a challenge for me to stand alone in the front row and salute among a group of relatives and friends who were kneeling.

The crematorium and the funeral parlor are only two streets apart. Everyone pulled a purple rope and followed the ceremonial car through the two busy streets. The crematorium was filled with a touch of sadness, but it was as lively as a vegetable market. Processions of different bereaved families shuttled through the venue following the soul-calling flags. The family stood in front of the incinerator, facing the uncle's photo and tablet, listening to the etiquette master's instructions, and shouted many times: "XX! The fire is coming, go quickly, your soul must escape the fire!" Relatives and friends shouted loudly , I was frightened by this battle. I knew clearly that it was just a body and the soul was long gone. But when I heard everyone shouting, I couldn't help but shout loudly: "Uncle! Uncle!" The cremation ceremony here had just ended. Next door, The family members of the team began their ceremony, shouts and shouts came and went, and the weather was hot, but there was a sad feeling of farewell.

While I was waiting, I stood by the "Departure Cafe" and watched. Groups of silent bereaved families followed young, skilled etiquette ladies in short skirts and high heels and professional "masters" (Taoist priests) to the necessary steps. to carry out the necessary funeral arrangements. After the funeral, the bereaved family dispersed, and the etiquette lady and the master walked to the next work point talking and laughing.

This was my first personal experience with Taiwan’s traditional funeral customs. The Lord Jesus wants us to go into the whole world and preach the gospel. For some Christians who grew up in the church, does the environment and friends related to the church mean "the whole world"? Are we willing to understand the beliefs and practices of "the whole world"? Maybe there's a feeling of fear mixed in with it? Before going to the funeral, God asked me to read, "Do not be afraid! More are with us than with them." (2 Kings 6:16) This verse gave me the courage and strength to let me Gain freedom in various worship and rituals.

That night at a family dinner, a relative said to me: "I observed you, you are good, sincere, and respectful. I once went to church with someone, and they passed bread and grape juice to me, but they didn't give it to me. In fact, everything Religions teach people to be tolerant, and our master is also a good friend of the nun." Looking at the whole table, I did not talk about Jesus and the gospel in a long way, but only gave a simple explanation: If you have not been baptized, you can participate in the Christian cakes and cups. The "ritual" is eating and drinking one's own sin.

I really want to tell my loved ones that the Lord Jesus has already taken care of all the sins we have committed. We don’t need to rely on spiritual practice, worship, or repaying vows to get the unconditional love of the Lord Jesus. There is a time for everything. When we leave this world, we go to the place that the Lord Jesus has prepared for us and to live with Him. Even soaring in the sky, the Lord Jesus is with us. (See Psalm 139:8) Hope is seeing each other again in the Lord.

At this time, silence is better than sound, love is a process of action, and only God is the starting point and end point of love and tolerance.

Recommended reading

What if, as a junior and a Christian, your faith triggers a sharp conflict in the family when your elder dies? What about the church? Can conflicts be turned into friendship? Please see:

〈Mission Impossible? Divine power! 〉, Yicheng, "Kingdom of God" magazine, Issue 33,www.shen-guo.org/mission-impossible-god-can.html

"Turning fights into blessings—Family testimonies that turn crises into opportunities", Lin Biyun, "Kingdom of God" magazine, Issue 39,www.shen-guo.org/offering-to-blessing.html)

My parents actively participated in meditation courses, practiced meditation, and enthusiastically promoted Buddhism. However, the test of life came. How to take care of the souls of parents at this critical moment? How to draw on heavenly wisdom and power?

"You and your family will be saved", Zhou Weiwei interviews Luo Shili and Luo Su Meiying, "Kingdom of God" magazine, issue 41,http://www.shen-guo.org/you-and-your-household-saved.html