There are many aspects of life that we often take for granted, culturally, without considering them from a Biblical perspective. I take a certain pleasure in challenging those cultural assumptions, especially when challenged by our postmodern culture. The question becomes, why do we do things the way we do, and even more importantly, is there a right way to do these things.

Boing Boing has posted a link to a company called Capsula Mundi that has create a more environmentally friendly way of burying the dead. They’re method involves burying the body in a biodegradable cocoon, and planting a tree of the deceased person’s choosing as a marker.

While Christian funerals have pretty much become ritualized and somewhat standardized within the Church, I’ve often wondered why it is that we fill large plots of land with old markers, and what Biblical alternatives are more feasible in densly populated areas. Many Christians are even accepting cremation as a viable alternative, even though the practice has been considered abhorrant to the historical Church.

So, are there priciples involved when a loved one passes from this earthly sphere? Is the body left behind simply an empty shell, or does it deserve respect? Is burial more respectful than cremation?