Dear Friends,

We have been here in the Philippines for eight years now and at the end of October we have always heard about many, many people going to the cemetery with food on October 31 to visit their dead friends and relatives. Finally this year I decided to go and join the crowds who were gathering at our local cemetery and talk to the people and take some pictures.

People are very hospitable in the Philippines and they are almost always welcome visitors and offer conversation and food. I found out that traditionally families gather at the cemetery around "All Souls Day" on November 1 in order to bring flowers, lots of food, burn candles and spend the day together at the grave side.

The gravesides range from the very humble "hole in the ground" to what is pictured below . . . a very nice two story house with winding stairway. Depending on the size of the family, it would be expected on that day to see anywhere from a few to several dozen people gather together at a particular graveside in order to socialize and eat an abundance of food.

I have to admit, when I first heard about this ritual it seemed pretty weird and spooky to me. Western culture has invested gravesides with fear through movies which envision dead people coming to life in order to traumatize the living. We understand that the Bible teaches that "the dead know not anything" (Ecclesiastes 9:5) and we have nothing to fear at the graveside of our loved ones.

Let us who have been still granted life, seek Him who is the Giver of Life that when He comes, we may be gathered with faithful family and friends to the True House of Feasting in heaven above.

Pastor Jim Park, PhD
Philippines


November 14, 2011

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