Why Have a Funeral?
Funeral… just the mere word will cause some to shrink away from the rest of this article. It strikes fear in the heart of many, causes some to shed a remorseful tear, and forces everyone to ponder our own mortality and morbidity.
Some generations recall the days of taking their dearly departed loved one back home for viewing. The funeral was held in the parlor, neighbors hand excavated the grave, and the community came together to pay their respects. Most of us are familiar with a visitation at the funeral home, a church funeral the following day, and interment in a large cemetery. 
Today, funerals are becoming as varied as the individuals they represent, from family gatherings, to public events, to nothing at all. With so many different options, variables, religious ideologies, and preferences, some are left to wonder which process is the right process. Still, others see no point to any process.
Consider this; a funeral is a one time event per person. It is an opportunity to honor the life and legacy of the departed (and we all leave a legacy). Funerals provide an opportunity for the public to provide love and care for the bereft, to find closure for the loss of the life that influenced others, and to reaffirm our religious convictions about the future. The funeral is one of the last great bastions of a society that is supposed to be selfless, and not selfish.
Sadly, the funeral rite has become an afterthought. It is no longer about what we need (spiritual, emotional, and social support), but rather what we prefer or prefer not to have. Our society is one that kicks against tradition, rejects doing things like we always have, and longs for the quick and simple so that we can get back to our busy lives. Haven’t we all heard, “Just wrap me up in a sheet and throw me in a hole.”
Each of us leaves footprints upon this earth, especially on the hearts and lives of the people we meet. And, consequently, our hearts and lives reflect the impressions of others upon us.
If we simply disregard those whom have had an impact upon us, then life becomes meaningless and futile. If we do not take the time to care for others, we have slipped further down the slope of a depraved and self-consumed society. If we do not have some type of funeral, we will quickly stop caring for anything and everyone at all.
Sir William Gladstone, a former Prime Minister of Great Britain, said it best, “Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.”
