Mr. Jin was an undertaker in our village who had more than 30 years of working experience. While he just did the casketing by experience and quenching without professional technical training.
With a devout faith, he was more silent than speaking in the church. He said that faith was not spoken out by mouth, but believers should bear witness to God through their faith and behavior, making other people see Jesus in their own lives.
In the face of the passing and annihilation of life, people’s wailing was constant, while it was always Jin who first helped people to stop crying. Not only did his voice have the power to make people believe in him; more importantly, his voice had a special power to calm the restlessness of the mind.
I think this is the energy of life tempered by the years, and it can also be said that God gave him a special gift.
Jin had a special view of life and death. When people lamented and grieved over the lost lives, he always used to say: "His journey in the world is over, and he will live forever in another world."
And he always spoke so firmly, as if supported by unquestionable faith. This was his most simple view of life and death, as well as the farmers’ philosophy of life and death that they had come to understand after dealing with nature and land for many years.
With terminal cancer, he eventually came to the last moments of his life. The elder people in the village shed tears, saying," We were hoping you'd send us away, but you would leave before us.” While Jin said, "I'll go ahead and find out the way for you, so that you won't get lost when you get there." When his family wept, he stated, "Every Black Friday, eventually will pass. I have but three days to wait, yes, only three days. And at the end of those three days we shall all welcome the bright sunshine of a new Easter Sunday."
Jin's funeral was led by his son, who also took over his job. His son invited the older generation who had fought alongside his father to make the funeral team, instead of a group of young people.
Because Jin's last words to his son were, "Don't go along with them, but do what I taught you." His son listened to him and prepared for a Christian funeral in accordance with Jin's will. With a hymn of grace and serenity sung at the funeral, a pastor preached the truth of faith, filled with the word of life. Jin went away to another world, another home he believed in - in heaven, and a better one without tears, pain, or strife.
- Translated by Sophia Chen
