When those like Carolyn Bryant, Emmett Till’s accuser, pass away, many wonder what happens to bad people after they die. Many also wonder what such deaths mean for the living. In this article I give my thoughts on these important questions.

What Happens To Them?

As a pastor I am often asked what happens to people after death, and especially those deemed “bad” such as Carolyn Bryant. Because of her accusations Emmet Till suffered a gruesome death, and since then many rightly feel that justice has not been served.

As a child of 14 laid disfigured in a cemetery, she got to live to 88 in quiet anonymity. Though looked upon with scorn, she experienced life’s blessings. Blessings that Till should have known instead of the horrors that took his life.

To be honest, Bryant’s death leaves me feeling like so many others. I am angry, sad, wanting to condemn, and wrestling with unfairness. Like Till, several men in my family were lynched because of lies, while those who accused them lived on and were never held accountable.

So what happens to those deemed bad after they die? Well, my answer has changed several times throughout my years of ministry. Early on I would have quickly shouted, “HELL IS WHERE THEY ARE”, but now my reply is more earthly and less about the afterlife.

The truth is that when bad people die, the same thing happens as for everyone else. They leave bodies to be disposed of, possessions to be dealt with, and grieving hearts to be comforted. Some countries have taxes for those who pass away. So even in the throes of death, the government gets paid.

Of course, there are differences when the righteous and the wicked die. One group is cherished and celebrated, while the other is repudiated. Yet both leave things behind, good and bad, for the living. And these things impact us in the present and influence our future.

What It Means For Us?

As we look upon the things those deemed bad leave behind, we are tempted to determine where God might have sent them (a.k.a. heaven or hell). We are also tempted to focus on forgiving by putting aside our bad feelings and not speaking ill of them.

To be clear, I do believe in a judgement after death, and that forgiveness of the deceased is possible and has its time. But the absolution the departed need is not ours to give, for the afterlife and those within it are God’s business alone.

What is our business is this mortal plane and those within it, and finding life together whenever death presents itself. All deaths, even those of the wicked, mean a new beginning for the living. Yet, to have a wholesome new beginning we must do four things. We must:

1. Feel Freely – It is okay to experience emotions like anger and sadness and sit in them for a bit. In fact, it is healthy and necessary. Emotions in and of themselves are not bad, they are simply indicators of how something has affected us. When it comes to the dead, we should sit in the feelings that their memories invokes. Feelings that show us the affects that they have had upon our lives.

2. Speak Honestly – Telling the truth about wrongs done by the deceased is not showing disrespect or speaking ill of them. It is rightly acknowledging the impact of their actions on us and others. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with expressing what I call “harsh hopes” for the deceased (e.g., an uneasy afterlife). This helps us to verbalize and express negative emotions, and to gain a good perspective.

3. Pray Earnestly – In addition to the afterlife, this life is God’s business. Therefore, we should bring the things before Him that the deceased have left behind. He is just as concerned about the condition of living as He is for the dead, and desires that we rest in peace on this side of the grave. And for those who are not religious, there are other means of finding the rest that prayer brings. There are support groups, solidarity circles, concerts, and additional avenues that offer strength and comfort through something beyond ourselves.

4. Work Boldly – Along with faith there must be courageous actions. Actions that are rooted in a hope that all wounds can be healed. This hope moves us to aspire each day to leave the world a bit better, and to repair the breaches left behind by those who have departed. As we work boldly we should not work alone, but join with others who share this hope and aspire to make things better.

What Will We Leave?

Indeed, all deaths mean a new beginning for the living. A second chance at life to change this world while we are in it. Mamie Till saw this after losing her son, and she vowed to not hate Bryant and the men who were responsible. Instead, she committed her life to putting down injustice, and keeping other parents from knowing her grief. And when she passed away, she left behind good things. Things that continue to help the living and make a brighter future.

I hope that my life and death will be like those of Mamie Till, where the future is a bit brighter and good things are left behind. I also pray that this becomes a norm throughout society. That we purpose to live and die well so that it might be well long after our time. Despite the deep wounds that those like Bryant have inflicted, we can be agents of healing and peace that bind them up with love. And when we stand before the God that all souls, good and bad, must meet, we will find that He will be well pleased and need not fear His judgement.