Are skulls demonic? my visit to capela dos ossos

Rebecca: Hi again, internet, and welcome back to Offscripture with Beck and Sam. Today we're going to be talking about skulls. Yes, I said it, skulls. Now, before you start anointing your AirPods with oil and throwing holy water at your phone, breathe. We're going offscripture today and a little off the beaten track to unpack the deep, rich, and actually kind of beautiful history of skulls in both the ancient world and Christian tradition. Let's break this down, because not every skull you see is a sign of demonic oppression. So why do skulls have a bad rep? I'll tell you why. the ancient world, skulls weren't inherently evil. They were symbols of mortality, reminders of shortness of life and the inevitability of death. The Latin term memento mori literally means, remember, you will die. Thanks for the pep talk, right? But seriously, this wasn't about being morbid. It was about staying humble, grounded and focused. You see in Roman art, Egyptian tombs and even Celtic warrior rituals skulls for symbols of wisdom, legacy and the eternal soul. But of course, enter in the medieval church and later the Hollywood industrial complex and suddenly skulls become horror tropes, witchcraft signals or an emo t-shirt design. Even now, if you walk into a Christian home and see a skull on a shelf, people assume you're dabbling in something dark, but maybe... You're just really committed to reflecting on your own mortality? Okay now let's get real. Skulls are all over church history. First of all let's take a look at the ancient Christian art. Ever seen an image of Saint Jerome? He's often depicted with a skull sitting next to him. Was he sacrificing goats to it? No. He was translating the Bible beside it. to remind himself of eternal things. Schools were used as a spiritual practice, not a horror aesthetic. They appear in paintings of Mary Magdalene too, not because she was a goth, but because she had this deep revelation of repentance, transformation and eternity. And then there's the catacombs. Christians in the early church were literally burying their dead in tunnels beneath the city, not hiding them, but honouring them. In fact, many schools were painted, gilded, even decorated as part of their reverence for the saints. So if schools were demonic, so were the early church fathers. Oops. So that takes us to where we are today, in the beautiful city of Evra, right where I'm recording this week's episode. small sun-soaked Portuguese town of Evora where you'll find the Capella dos Osos. That's Portuguese for Chapel of Bones. Maybe not my best Portuguese. And that's not just a poetic name, it's literal. This chapel, part of the Church of St. Francis, was built in the 16th century by three Franciscan monks who wanted people to reflect on the transience of life. It contains the bones of over 5,000 people, including rows of human skulls carefully stacked and arranged along the walls. So before you say, that's creepy, let me ask you, is your living room reminding you to live a life worthy of eternity? No? Then maybe Ever is onto something. And no, this isn't some dark, twisted crypt. Many people who visit say it's actually peaceful, quiet and sacred. There's even a message above the entrance that reads, no sauce us. We bones that are here are waiting for yours. I mean, talk about hospitality. This chapel wasn't built to scare people. It was built to remind them you are dust and to dust you shall return. But hey, live while you're here. Okay, time to go inside and see what it's all about. So inside you're welcomed instantly by the message on the door that we talked about earlier and then the bones arranged in such a beautiful way. It was, it's something that I wasn't expecting to be so, so peaceful as you come in. whether that is to do with the background reading I did before entering the tomb or this is a true sense of how it truly feels whilst you're in the chapel. However, it is a place that feels so calm and somewhere that you can reflect on the repentance. It's interesting how you could be surrounded by so many dead people, but still feel like eerily peaceful and being able to feel that step closer to eternity of what lies beyond after death and how we Christians deal with that. And it is definitely something I would recommend to come and visit if you are ever in the area. or valentasia or ever come to visit ever it's certainly something to go and see. Here's the point schools don't glorify death they remind us how to live they tell us that you don't live forever your legacy it doesn't matter get off instagram and make peace with your neighbor stop hoarding scented candles and go feed somebody go help out in your community even in scripture this theme shows up in Ecclesiastes 7 2 it says It is better to go to a house of mourning, to a house of feasting. For death is the destiny of everybody. The living should take this to heart. I mean, Solomon wasn't being emo, he was being wise. So next time you see a skull, whether it's in a chapel, a painting, or a teenager's backpack, don't just scream demon. Ask yourself, what is it pointing to? What is it reminding me of? Make it your own reminder to reflect on the way that you live your life right now today. Maybe schools aren't scary. Maybe they're sacred. And maybe, just maybe, Jesus didn't die to make you safe. He died to make you holy. There's a difference. Thanks for hanging out with me solo today on Offscripture. I'll be back next week with Bec. Assuming she's not off somewhere converting a bike, a gang with school tattoos. Until then. Stay curious, stay gracious and remember you're not just made of dust, you are made of glory. Don't forget to like and subscribe and I'll see you next time. This has been Offscripture with Beck and Sam and I'm Sam.