Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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Death and Wal-Mart
By Sean at The Mockingbird Blog
Well, I have been MIA for the past few weeks due to moving, traveling, etc., but I stumbled across this article on MSNBC.com a week or so ago, and thought it worth mentioning. It turns out that Wal-Mart has begun to sell coffins online, that's right, coffins. Now it is truly your one-stop shopping destination. The best part is that you can find the caskets under the "health and beauty" section:)A lot could be said about the new additions to the Wal-Mart inventory, but I found myself feeling very grateful for this development because it reminds us of our mortality. It is not unlike many of the old Episcopal churches in the South that have graveyards surrounding them. I was just down in South Carolina this past week visiting some friends of Mockingbird, and every church I visited sat amidst the gravestones of its parishoners. You don't see this very much any more with many of today's churches worshipping in converted shopping centers and athletic arenas, and I think we are worse off for it. But, those old graveyards remind us that we are not living for this world. They remind us that we are mortal, and ultimately they remind us that we are sinful. Death in this world is a direct result of sin.It seems a strange juxtaposition going to a church to hear some hope and running into the unavoidable evidence of our impending death, but that's actually what our faith is all about. We walk through the graveyard (death) and enter the church to hear the Gospel of forgiveness through the cross of Jesus Christ (resurrection).Thanks to those graveyards, and now Wal-Mart, we know exactly what we are being saved from. They prevent any illusions that we are living for "our best life now" or that Christianity should be focused on saving this world and this life. It's not at all. Christianity is about being saved for a new life and a new earth. Though we deserve eternal death because of the cross of Christ we receive the promise of eternal life. As a result, the denial of death can stop. Now we stare it in the face knowing that it is not the final word. We become aliens in this world. Without our hope firmly founded in Jesus' death and resurrection going to church in the South and surfing the Wal-Mart website would be terribly depressing, but with HIM we can hear the words of life and maybe even be free enough to get a great deal on a coffin.
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About the Author
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- From: mockingbirdnyc
- About Me: WHAT: Mockingbird is a ministry that seeks to connect the historic truths of the Gospel with the realities of everyday life in as down-to-earth a way possible. WHY: Are we called Mockingbird? The name was inspired by the mockingbird’s peculiar gift for mimicking the cries of other birds. In a similar way, we seek to repeat the message we have heard - God’s Word of grace and forgiveness - with the understanding that none of us ever moves beyond our need to hear the basics. HOW: Via every medium available! At present this includes (but is not limited to!) a daily weblog, regular conferences, and an ongoing publications initiative. The deeply relational nature of our message/material also means that everything we do is undergirded and surrounded by as much face-to-face time as possible. WHO: We employ two full-time staff, David Zahl and Sean Norris. We also have a number of contributing volunteers and writers. For more info email: mockingbirdnyc@gmail.com
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Comments (9)
Walley world is selling coffins now?
Somehow I'm not surprised.
Hey now that Dobson is retiring maybe Walmart can finally start selling Jesus! Just a thought!
I can't decide between the Hello Kitty coffin and the Dallas Cowboys design.
Hmmm, now Walmart has everything from pre birth to post death. Thank God salvation nor eternity are for sale.
i guess it depends on how you view death. for me, it's a natural outcome and not something to be feared in and of itself. knowing that i will someday die makes this life that much more important to me.
Hm, interesting. Good post. I work for wal-mart. I am discovering new products every day, I believe. This tops the list, though. ;)
I think Wal-Mart is something to be saved from.
I would have to agree with @ToastersNMilkshakes@xanga - but nonetheless this is pretty funny.
Did you hear about the guy who ordered 5 coffins from Wal-Mart because he believes in reincarnation? :) Actually that would be me.
"They prevent any illusions that we are living for "our best life now" or that Christianity should be focused on saving this world and this life. It's not at all. Christianity is about being saved for a new life and a newearth. Though we deserve eternal death because of the cross of Christ we receive the promise of eternal life."
Actually that is a big mistake in my opinion. Yes there is eternal life. Christ's death and resurrection didn't create eternal life as a possibility. His death and resurrection demonstrated eternal life as a reality. Another way of putting it is that whoever discovered the atom didn't bring the atom into existence. He or she simply pointed out that atoms exist. It is a mistake to believe that because life is eternal leading the best life in this world doesn't matter. On the contrary, the way we live in this world is what is most important. That is why we are here in the first place. God did not just dump us here to sit around thinking this place doesn't matter. That would be like marrying a girl for convenience while all the time thinking I can't wait until I meet a girl I'm really attracted to. What I realize and do in this life is of the utmost importance. I'll deal with the next life when I get to it.