Corpse Brides In Demand In China
A corpse bride can bring in as much as $20,000 in China. According to the staff writers at news.com.au:
This is the alarming reality facing rural families in China, who shockingly regularly discover the bodies of loved ones have gone missing. The practice is fuelled by a belief that a newly deceased bachelor must be buried alongside a woman.
According to the bizarre tradition, which was outlawed under Communism, elderly single men are given a “bride” to be buried with when they die, with some considering it bad luck to pass into the next life without a female companion.
Some believe a “ghost wedding” prevents their dead bachelor relative becoming restless and returning to haunt and bring misfortune to the family.
Ghost weddings date back 3000 years, but despite being stamped out by China’s ruling Communist party, the belief still exists, particularly in rural areas. The ghoulish ritual involves a corpse being reburied next to the dead man while drums are played in front of relatives.
These poor people suffer from an uninformed fear of death, seeking better "luck" to navigate its mysteries. And to make matters worse, they fear the dead themselves, seeking to placate them so as not to be haunted.
Ultimately, what this ancient culture suffers from is the lack of influence of the Gospel. Not understanding the joys and assurances that a knowledge of the Truth brings, the void has been filled with superstition and fear.
It is not a corpse bride you need by your side as you journey from life into death. It's The One Who conquered death itself. In Christ, and in Christ alone, death loses its sting.
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55).
Additional Application:
What these bachelors need in death isn’t a dead bride, but a resurrected Groom!
“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Corinthians 11:2).
The Ugly Bride
A man in Algiers is seeking $20,000 in damages for the psychological suffering he endured after waking up from his honeymoon with an ugly bride. The lawsuit was filed the day after the wedding when the groom claimed that his wife defrauded him by wearing heavy makeup until the morning after the wedding.
There’s no chance Jesus is waking up with an ugly bride! The Church, The Bride of Christ, need not fear that the make-up of her pretenses will be wiped away, exposing her flaws. That’s because, as His bride, we will be adorned in the robes of His righteousness. On that day, the Bride of Christ will never be more beautiful!
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).
Paying It Forward: Rote or Real?
Florida Man Deliberately Scuttles Another 'Pay It Forward' Starbucks Line
How it started:
A nice man, we'll call him John, loved the simple joy of giving. He was well-known in his community for his acts of kindness, always looking for ways to brighten someone's day. One morning, inspired by stories he'd heard, John decided to start a "pay it forward" chain at his local Starbucks Coffee Shop. He paid for his coffee and for the order of the person in line behind him, leaving the cashier with a smile and instructions to keep the chain going.
For hours, the chain continued, each person "seemingly" touched by the gesture, deciding to pass on the kindness.
How it ended, according to ABC News:
A Florida man put an end to another “pay it forward” streak at a local Starbucks because he said he thinks people were participating out of “guilt,” not “generosity.”
Peter Schorsch, a blogger, drove to the Starbucks drive-thru in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Thursday after hearing about the pay it forward phenomenon there that ended with customer No. 458, a woman, the day before. After he ordered two Venti Mocha Frappuccinos, the barista told him his first drink had been paid for by the previous customer and asked if he would like to pay for the next customer.
“I told him no,” Schorsch, of St. Petersburg, told ABC News. “When the barista asks you to pay it forward, it is no longer spontaneous.”
“I’m really not trying to be a Grinch,” Schorsch said. “I know things are hard for baristas and I am willing to help people.”
“I just don’t want to be forced into doing something." ...
When baristas ask customers to pay for the next customer, some patrons simply oblige out of guilt, not generosity, he said.
But before you go thinking all generosity was lost, story ends on a good note ...
Though Schorsch didn't pay for the next customer at the drive-thru, he said he tipped the barista $100.
This story serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of keeping our first love of kindness and generosity alive, not just in actions, but in spirit.
In the early days of following Jesus, our acts of kindness are often driven by a heartfelt response to the love we've experienced in Christ. Over time, however, it's easy for our actions to become mechanical, a matter of rote obligation or compulsion rather than a reflection of a deeply felt love and generosity.
Just as John initiated the pay-it-forward chain out of a genuine desire to spread kindness, we are called to ensure that our acts of love, service, and generosity stem from a place of genuine care and compassion. When we act out of obligation or for recognition, we lose the essence of what it means to love as Jesus loved.
The call to not lose our first love is a call to remember why we started in the first place. It's an invitation to revisit the heart of our actions, ensuring they are rooted in genuine love and not merely in habit or expectation.
Whether it's in acts of kindness, our service to others, or our relationship with God, let's commit to keeping our hearts engaged, our motives pure, and our love fresh.
In doing so, we not only enrich our own lives, but also truly reflect the heart of Christ to the world around us. Let's not let our love become rote; instead, let's ensure it remains vibrant, heartfelt, and deeply rooted in the love we first received.
"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first" (Revelation 2:4, ESV).
"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NIV).