Easter during extraordinary times
What does Easter mean to us as Namibian Christians living in these times? Have you ever noticed how different Easter is from the Christmas season? Christmas shows up in the store beginning in August. Christmas carols are heard everywhere for months, then disappear on 26 December. But somehow it still seems inappropriate to break into Easter morning. And so it is. Of course, the stores sell their eggs, bunnies, and bonnets, but that's not what Easter is also about. Resurrection comes only on the far side of the trial, the torture, and the crucifixion. Even our commercial culture has not been able to find a way to trivialise a gruesome public execution. And that is good, for there is nothing trivial about it, especially when it involves God made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. We are approaching Holy Week, a time to remember and reflect upon the most significant events in human history, culminating in the celebration of the resurrection on Easter. Holiness is experienced when the divine and the human, the heavenly and the early, come together. We, as Namibian Christians, have once again the opportunity to participate in some of the most holy events we can ever know during this time. Or we can choose to ignore them.
But our experience of holiness depends upon our active participation in the sacred drama of those days.
What does Easter mean to us as Namibian Christians living in these extraordinary times?
It is a challenging question; doesn't that usually imply that something good, or at least amazing, is happening? It reminded me of what Christians have always known: it doesn't matter to our life in God whether we live in good times or bad. In fact, it seems to be exactly when the culture is crashing and burning that the church rises to its finest! But I believe our response to Easter is not to sit idly, merely witnessing and hoping for divine intervention. As Namibian Christians, our response is to participate in helping God save the day so that we can keep alive the belief in Christ's resurrection for another generation of believers.
Looking at it from the Covid-19 perspective, although the church is still the beacon of hope in all communities, there are no easy answers or quick fixes to the phenomenon of the drop in church attendance numbers.
Some believe that if we do nothing, eventually the tides will turn and we will experience an increase in attendance, reflecting an upswing in spiritual energy. Others prophesy that the church is dying and, perhaps, a new kind of church will emerge in its place.
Still others are experimenting with new ways of being "church,” taking leaps of faith, and introducing contemporary music and forms of worship. One thing is for certain: we cannot continue to do things the same old way and expect to get different results. With the Easter season upon us, we will stand before the tomb contemplating the death of the body of Christ (the church) and prayerfully discerning how to roll the stone away from the tomb.
While we emphasise changing the “church” as the key to its survival, we might discover that we need to focus more on changing ourselves and our own spiritual and personal transformation.
When the church becomes a place where people feel they can learn more positive ways of interacting with others, a place of succour, a safe haven for those who are dealing with a variety of life's challenges, like loneliness, abuse, and simultaneously sense a deeper connection with Jesus and perceive the difference they can make in their community, the light will shine forth from the tomb. So let us not miss this opportunity as Namibians to experience holiness in our lives as Christians. Christ is alive through us; therefore, let us join the sacred drama that reaches its climax on Easter.In conclusion, despite the challenges around us, we should recognise that our Lord sacrifices His life for us, and based on our faith, we should look forward to a day when we turn back to normal. May we be willing to take on the awesome task of sustaining that light for all generations to come and be the change for the better in our communities?
Oh yes, we live in extraordinary times. There is no question about how we will respond. Will we do what the church is called to do? If we do, I guarantee that we will not have to worry about where our next dollar is coming from.
*Reverend Jan A Scholtz is the former chairperson of //Kharas Regional and former !Nami#nus Constituency Regional Councillor and is a holder of a Diploma in Theology, B-Theo (SA), a Diploma in Youth Work and Development from the University of Zambia (UNZA), a Diploma in Education III (KOK), and a BA (HED) from UNISA.