5th- 11th May is ''Dying Matters Awareness Week'’ with the theme for 2025 being "The Culture of Dying Matters." This focus explores how various communities and cultures within the UK perceive, discuss, and handle death and dying, highlighting both the differences and the shared experiences that unite them.
Reaching out to members of our religious communities across BCP Council for their thoughts on this subject, our Christian Reverend Jonathan Martin kindly shared the following:-
It’s Dying Matters Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is "The Culture of Dying Matters"- invites us to talk about something we often tiptoe around: death. Across the UK, every community has its own way of handling dying, grieving, and remembering — from big gatherings full of food and music, to quiet vigils and whispered prayers.
As Christians, we step into this conversation with something very precious to offer: not just traditions, but hope. Real hope. Not the kind that says, “Everything’s fine!” when it clearly isn’t — but the hope that even death doesn’t get the last word.
Paul puts it so simply in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: "We do not grieve as others do who have no hope." Notice: we do grieve. Faith doesn’t cancel sorrow. Jesus Himself wept when Lazarus died! But we grieve differently because of the empty tomb.
Living Well — and Dying Well
Talking about death might sound morbid, but it’s actually a way of learning to live better. When we remember our lives are a gift with an ending, we start treasuring today a lot more. We forgive quicker, hug tighter, laugh louder — and maybe even take that holiday we've been "too busy" for!
And when we look at Christian examples like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who said as he faced death, "This is the end — for me, the beginning of life," we see what real hope looks like under pressure. Or Maximilian Kolbe, who, in the horror of Auschwitz, stepped forward to take another man's place — not because he wanted to die, but because love always has the final say.
They remind us that Christian dying is not about fear; it's about trust. Trust that even as one chapter ends, the best chapter is about to begin.
Learning from the Wider Family
Cultures around the world have such beautiful ways of marking death. Some hold long celebrations full of food and music; others gather night after night, telling stories and lighting candles. There’s wisdom there. Sometimes Christians could use a bit more of that — a bit more laughter, a bit more food, a bit more honest remembering!
After all, as someone once said, heaven might feel an awful lot like a joyful family meal — just without the awkward relatives and the burnt casseroles.
A Culture of Hope
So this week, let’s be brave enough to talk about dying. Let’s also be brave enough to laugh, to share memories, and to live well now. Because in Christ, death isn't the end of the story. It’s the doorway into the life we were made for.
As Jesus promised: "Because I live, you also will live" (John 14:19).
And that's something worth smiling about.
Thanks for inviting me to write a few words, Jonathan