Old and New
March 7 2011 (Monday)
Years ago we visited New England to see the fall foliage. It was beautiful and worth the trip. We saw other sights as well, and some of the most interesting were cemeteries.
We were surprised to see so many graves in Boston with markers that displayed skulls and crossbones. It is said that the Victorian era produced a culture that felt it necessary to remind the living in a forceful manner of the reality of death and the certainty of eternal punishment. The skull and crossbones seemed to be helpful in accomplishing that goal.
Later we saw a cemetery near Barre, Vermont that took a different approach altogether. Stone was plentiful there and the stone workers themselves became very creative in producing grave markers that were unusual. For example, one of the graves features a husband and wife sitting in bed in their pajamas, holding hands, with their graves stretched out before them like a double bed.
As time passed, grave markers changed from a fearful portrayal of death to a testimony of peace and eternal bliss. Faith replaced fear as the most common motif for headstones. Many newer cemeteries are “perpetual care” cemeteries that look more like beautiful gardens and the markers are usually brass plaques at ground level, without much space for additional remarks about faith, etc.
Customs concerning funerals, graves and markers have changed through the years, but the fact remains that Christians look at death in light of the resurrection and hope of Heaven. Hope is ever present at a Christian funeral. When Christ conquered death, He changed everything!