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In 2nd Timothy, Paul encourages us to thank God for our brothers and sisters in
Christ. He says of Timothy ..., I thank God for you-the God I serve with a clear
conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in
my prayers. 4 I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And
I will be filled with joy when we are together again. 5 I remember your genuine faith,
for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice.
And I know that same faith continues strong in you. 6 This is why I remind you to fan
into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has
not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
In the Book of James, chapter 2, James expects his readers to remember their ancestor
Abraham, that he "was shown to be right with God by his actions... He was even called the friend of God".
In First Peter, chapter 5, Peter writes that we should "Remember that your Christian
brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are."
Although Peter focuses here on our Earth-bound brothers and sisters in Christ, what about the dead in Christ?
According to Luke 20:27-38, they are "children of God",
"children of the ressurection", "equal to the angels", and indeed "living" to God. If they are
"living" to God, then should we not, as an act of our Christian faith, also treat them as such by
remembering them? Certainly, where they are, alive with God, they are no less living that we are!
Although this activity of remembrance, this act of respect, is unassailably biblical,
it's largely ignored these days, particularly as we become more and more busy. The sad
fact is that most of us forget our departed loved ones all too quickly. Whether any effort
of remembering these loved ones is advocated by our church doctrine largely depends on
the denomination of the Christian believer. Whether you're a Christian fundamentalist, a
traditional Catholic, or somewhere in between, it should please all to know that the
foundational ideas behind Heaven's Mail and Christian Memorials are wholly biblical,
based on (1) Peter's admonition to make every effort to share one's faith with future
generations (2 Peter 1:12), (2) the "golden rule" (doing unto others you would have
them do unto you) and (3) the "cloud of witnesses" of Hebrews 12:1, in which we're told
that the great men of the past are watching us from above, and that consequently, we
should live differently today.
First, Peter's admonition: in 2nd Peter, Chapter One, Peter made an effort to share
his faith with his followers, in a lasting way, saying" 12 Therefore, I will always
remind you about these things-even though you already know them and are standing firm
in the truth you have been taught. 13 And it is only right that I should keep on
reminding you as long as I live. 14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I
must soon leave this earthly life, 15 so I will work hard to make sure you always
remember these things after I am gone."
Second, the golden rule. Ask yourself this question: would you like to be remembered by your son,
daughter, grandchild, friends? If so, then you should remember them, you should do as you would
have them do to you, namely, honor those who have gone before us by remembering them from time to time if
you wish those you eventually leave behind to remember you. In fact,
this is a Christian tradition from the beginning of the faith. All Christians consider the words of
the Apostles, written centuries ago by writers that are no longer on this Earth.
Yes, the Bible is a means of eternal communication, the
ultimate memorial of the deeds of others and of God, not only in the past, but also in the future.
Third, the cloud of witnesses. Hebrews 12:1 makes clear that we are being watched
by those in heaven, as we live our lives here on Earth. This means that it may indeed be
possible for us, when we are in heaven, to tune in on those we leave behind. If so,
those who have gone before us, some of whom we may consider our "guardian angels", and others who love us,
may be watching us from above. As we become more aware of this fact, we act differently,
and can't help but think more about those who've gone before us. A memorial helps us
remember our departed loved ones and to keep us accountable to God.
We hope that you will use the tools we offer on our memorial websites to comfort
one another, to honor those who've gone before you and to remind those you leave
behind of your enduring love for them. We welcome your suggestions and are pleased
to answer any questions you may have.
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