I was stunned. It was the first time that I saw death without it first having been made up by the undertaker. Yes, I had been to a number of funerals. And I have heard people say things like, “He looks so good, so natural.” Once someone whispered to me, “She looks so beautiful.  She looks as if she is taking a nap and could wake in a moment.”  What I saw on that gurney was not death after having put on its makeup.  This was the death that still carried a sting. This was ugly. It was anything but natural. It was quite appallingly unnatural.  That’s what made me think of Romans.

Several years ago I worked for a funeral director. On one occasion I travelled with him to another city in order to recover a body.  The person, a younger person, had traveled and died while out of town. On the way to the city morgue my boss and I talked together.  I found out later that he was trying to prepare me for what I was about to see. He didn’t do a very good job nor could he have.

We arrived during the lunch hour and all of the employees were in the office eating take out. Some had burgers and fries and others pizza.  You may wonder how I can still remember.  I assure you that these moments are forever etched in my brain.  When we mentioned why we were there a morgue employee quickly stuffed his mouth with fries and went behind a door and emerged less than a minute later pulling a metal gurney with an unclothed human being lying on it.  The person was a mess and so was I.

I was stunned. It was the first time that I saw death without it first having been made up by the undertaker. Yes, I had been to a number of funerals. And I have heard people say things like, “He looks so good, so natural.” Once someone whispered to me, “She looks so beautiful.  She looks as if she is taking a nap and could wake in a moment.”  What I saw on that gurney was not death after having put on its makeup.  This was the death that still carried a sting. This was ugly. It was anything but natural. It was quite appallingly unnatural.  That’s what made me think of Romans.

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