Where to look for hope? Former Evangelical pastor Jaroslav Pechar and Oleg Vojtíšek

Former Evangelical pastor Jaroslav Pechar and Oleg Vojtíšek

"At our mother's funeral, the vicar preached about a whore."

Or, not only about whether humour belongs in funeral sermons, we talked with Jaroslav Pechar, a former evangelical minister and pastor.

Is the funeral for the deceased or for the survivors? Should we do it the way the deceased would have liked? Or should we do it in a way that helps the bereaved? Or should it be more about God and the hope of eternal life?

Many of us imagine that when a eulogy "makes even men cry," it is a display of the highest possible admiration. But... what if he lightened you up? What if it made you feel better, what if it absolved you of guilt, or made you happy? Is the purpose of a funeral to fold and weep at death, or to celebrate life? What does Father Pechar say? (Spoiler: at his funerals, people tell stories, play guitar, and carry on long after the service!)

"Death is an enemy that wins battles but never wins the war."

Where to find hope when I'm dying? And if I'm not a believer?

What is after death, Father Pechar cannot answer, and no church can answer, but he knows what is not there: there is no darkness and emptiness because a hand is extended. That is the greatest hope the Church offers after death.

And just as the hand of the deceased is given by God according to the Church, the hand of the bereaved is given by parish priests like Father Pechar. And not with holy water or a magic wand. But with words and stories. And sometimes with the phone on at 1:00 in the morning.

So listen to his stories and jokes in our podcast on Spotify.

"In heaven we will wonder three things: who is there, who is not there, and how the hell we got there."