When there's a death in...
Illustration
When there's a death in the family, it's a common thing for survivors to assemble a
collage of photographs, for display as friends and relatives come to visit. Sorting through
those photos, and deciding where they go on the poster board, the family members tell
the world how their loved one was special. Those viewing the photo display can often
learn more about the deceased from that collage -- and about the family members who
chose them -- than from any number of conversations. More than that, the very act of
going through those pictures -- the talking and laughing and remembering -- is
therapeutic.
Another thing family members sometimes do, at the time of a viewing, is to place some objects in or near the casket. Sometimes there's an American flag for a veteran, folded into a crisp triangle. Often, there's a cross -- or, if the person had some history in the Roman Catholic church, a rosary. There may even be a baseball cap from the deceased's favorite team, crayon pictures scrawled by grandchildren, well-worn tools of a trade. All this is part of how people grieve. If nothing else, these items will raise some interesting questions for future archaeologists.
In today's reading from Acts, a group of women tearfully hold up some objects that remind them of their departed loved one. These are articles of clothing: everything from humble undergarments -- what Luke refers to as "tunics" -- to more elaborate outer clothing.
Each of these clothing items was made by the deceased. Her name is Tabitha, or Dorcas, in the Greek. These articles of clothing do far more than simply describe the woman who has died. They are continuing symbols of her love and caring -- and her faith.
Another thing family members sometimes do, at the time of a viewing, is to place some objects in or near the casket. Sometimes there's an American flag for a veteran, folded into a crisp triangle. Often, there's a cross -- or, if the person had some history in the Roman Catholic church, a rosary. There may even be a baseball cap from the deceased's favorite team, crayon pictures scrawled by grandchildren, well-worn tools of a trade. All this is part of how people grieve. If nothing else, these items will raise some interesting questions for future archaeologists.
In today's reading from Acts, a group of women tearfully hold up some objects that remind them of their departed loved one. These are articles of clothing: everything from humble undergarments -- what Luke refers to as "tunics" -- to more elaborate outer clothing.
Each of these clothing items was made by the deceased. Her name is Tabitha, or Dorcas, in the Greek. These articles of clothing do far more than simply describe the woman who has died. They are continuing symbols of her love and caring -- and her faith.
