HOLY DAYS IN UNHOLY TIMES
Passover, Easter, Ramadan and Vaisakhi are going to be very different this year. The gatherings normally associated with these religiously and culturally important days cannot take place. Houses of worship are closed and this is not a time to invite others into our homes for festive meals — or at all. Easter, the holiest day on the Christian calendar, and Passover, one of Judaism’s most important holidays, are just around the corner. And it seems unlikely that the situation will change before the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi on April 13 or the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, expected to begin on or about April 24. While most of us understand that these measures are essential for our own sakes and for that of the broader community, this does not make it any easier. Still, there can be no excuse for failing to make those sacrifices.
Thankfully, technology will allow many people to mitigate the impact of celebrating in isolation, instead of alongside our extended families and co-religionists. There will be webcast masses. Many Jews who are not strictly observant will have a laptop on their table next to the matzo and horseradish as they connect on Zoom or Skype. Some imams will offer sermons online. And many congregations of different faiths have been offering a busy schedule of virtual activities to keep their members connected.
However when it comes to Easter dinner, Passover seders, the iftar that breaks the daily Ramadan fast or the parades that are the hallmark of Vaisakhi, the limitations of the virtual world are obvious.
We can sit and feel sorry for ourselves. Or, this year might be a time for people to reflect a little harder on major themes of their respective holy days and holidays, and of each other’s, to find meaning, inspiration and comfort. They do seem to be especially pertinent this year: Easter’s messages of hope, rebirth, resurrection and redemption; Passover’s celebration of liberation and reflections on its meaning; Ramadan’s emphasis on giving charity and thinking of others who have less; and Vaisakhi’s celebration of the creation of Sikhism, which emphasizes equality, social justice and selfless service.
Throughout the past few weeks, as the COVID-19 crisis has upended our day-to-day lives, people of all faiths and none have stepped up to help their fellow citizens. From the medical personnel on the front lines to volunteers grocery shopping for those who should not leave home, in ways big and small, we have been showing we are here for each other. That, too, is something to celebrate.