Green “Natural” Burial: Life Has Changed, Not Ended!

One of the best meditations on the Resurrection is found in the wondrous cycle of nature. Everything has a season, and our liturgical year has a cycle as well. In faith, we travel through the cycle of birth, life, death and resurrection.

Scripture speaks of the necessity of the seed to fall to the earth in order to bring forth new life – the Resurrection of the Body. To view life and death in terms of these cycles brings beautiful perspective to death. It is a reminder that at death, life is changed, but not ended, just like the butterfly. A butterfly was once an earthbound larva that entered into the cocoon state, only to emerge glorified as the beautiful, winged, soaring butterfly.

We are told so often in Scripture to Be Not Afraid. While our faith and hope of Heaven is a great comfort to us, we still are often afraid of the cycles of life and death. Our loving God created an awesome world that reflects His love and spender; a world that feeds us, nurtures us, and shelters us. At death though, we have been conditioned in our “modern society” to pull back from what is natural, to keep from joining the beautiful, life-giving cycles of death and rebirth.

Good stewardship of our earth and financial resources should compel us to be informed about the various funeral and burial options.

Cremation, while an economical choice, is not as environmentally positive as one might think. The incineration process uses considerable amounts of energy; emits toxins, even if not released into the air, which then must be dealt with. Cremation also destroys many of the wonderful nutrients the body contains so as not to return them to the earth.

There is nothing traditional about conventional burial. Over the last decade, traditional (green) burial has been overran by new products and a one size fits all mind-set. The current trend of conventional burial says we should be handled by strangers, filled with poisonous chemicals, sealed away in a mass produced casket and be placed in yet another container to seal us away from nature.

Green Natural Burial is simple, affordable and natural. It reunites our body with the earth – using a biodegradable casket or shroud, no embalming fluids, no concrete or metal vaults. It allows the cycle of nature to be completed as God meant it to be. Also, there are more opportunities for family and community involvement in green burial. Many funeral homes are starting to offer green burial options.