Ultimately, the choice between burial and cremation is a matter of conscience, culture, and conviction. It is a decision that should be made in the light of prayer and with a deep understanding of one’s own theological foundations. While tradition provides a beautiful and time-tested map through burial, the grace of faith provides a wide horizon that encompasses the flame. The lasting assurance for the believer is that nothing—neither height nor depth, nor life nor death, nor the manner in which we return to the elements—can separate us from the love of the Creator.
As we look toward the future, the sanctuary of the cemetery and the quiet of the columbarium will continue to stand as monuments to our love and our longing. Whether we mark a spot of earth or keep a vessel of memory, we do so with the same enduring hope. We are a people who believe that life is changed, not ended. In the end, the dust—whether gathered by time or by fire—is merely the dust of a workshop where a master craftsman is preparing to make all things new. The physical remains are but the signature of a story that God has promised to continue in a kingdom where death is no more, and where the “many” will find their ultimate rest.
