The forgotten living, the forgotten dead

I heard an interview on Relevant Radio this morning with Quinn Klinefelter, who authored this article:

Cash-Strapped Cities Struggle To Bury Their Unclaimed Dead

I could easily have glossed over the topic, but pausing a moment, it became heartbreaking to think there are people who are not thought of when they die, who sit waiting for someone to bury them, forgotten in life and in death. Morgues in Detroit and other cities have hundreds of bodies waiting for someone to bury. Cities lack money to bury them. Some new ministries have started up to gather donations to bury unknown or unclaimed dead. At least one funeral home has provided a means for poor families to bury their dead.

Klinefelter said one thing that separates us from the animals is that we bury our dead, in respect for their human dignity. I remembered that Tobit actually risked his life to give the discarded dead a proper burial (Tobit 1:16-20) in defiance of the king of Babylon. The radio host this morning pointed out that Church counts burying the dead as one of the corporal works of mercy. 

It's a sobering thought, but I do not often consider that how we treat the dead is part of our respect for life.