I read recently, in a business paper from Ghana, that Christians there have been called upon to emulate the Muslim way of mourning the dead in order to reduce cost and rather channel such monies into productive ventures.

The Senior Pastor of Action Chapel in Tema, Reverend Samuel Boadi-Darwah offered the advice and wondered why some people, especially those in the low income group find it very difficult to make ends meet but manage to make financial contributions to hold expensive funerals.

He said the time has come for Christians to emulate Muslims who use common coffin to convey dead bodies to the cemetery, simple calico to cover
the dead and also perform the funeral rites modestly to prevent incurring debt.

The Senior Pastor entreated Christians to endeavor to offer material and financial support to the underprivileged in their families and the community rather than to wait for them to die before displaying their wealth at funerals.

This made me think.   Perhaps the fault for outrageous funeral costs is not all at the feet of the good ‘ol boys in the funeral homes.  We seem to equate a show of wealth with respect somehow, and if you have been reading BuryorBurn for even the shortest while, you will know that that is not true.  Min you I think the same about weddings, how much more useful would that money be if given to the bride and groom to start their new lives?

So now, if we go into the funeral home demanding bells and whistles and prancing plumed horses, we’re sure as h*ll gonna get them, and then some!

No, we’ve got to re-educate ourselves on this, less is definitely more, we don’t have to be lavish, it is not the time for showing off, it is the time for quite dignified respect and that does not have to cost a fortune.  No-one is more respectful of family ties and values than a traditional Moslem family and if it is good enough for them, surely it should be good enough for us all?