Celebrating Easter in a new and unsettling way

The rich Judaeo-Christian significance of this weekend, marking Passover and Easter, is well entrenched in our South African heritage. Given our predominant Christian affiliations, Easter represents the high moment of faith for many, who typically take time to observe practices passed on from one generation to another. Many withdraw in solitude and silent reflection, mimicking the experience of Jesus Christ in the period just before His betrayal, through his trial and eventual crucifixion.

Countless others covering the gamut of denominational and socioeconomic differences gather in large numbers to mark every moment of the three-day period of Christ’s agonising death and glorious resurrection.

This is a period of personally significant and moving ritual across well-known physical spaces and to the largely unknown, unexplored depths of the believer’s soul.

But now the rhythms of life for both religious and non-religious people have been up-ended by Covid-19.

Even before the national lockdown, large church denominations like the Zion Christian Church indicated they would cancel their Easter weekend programmes.

Unsurprisingly, churches with less rigid governance structures and more resources could implement technology-based ministry responses much more quickly and effectively than others.

Led by global denominational leaders like Pope Francis, the presiding bishops of liturgical traditions like the Catholic and Anglican churches have set out revised orders of services for congregations.

Many of those formal services have now been changed even further, with online livestreaming into congregants’ homes of local church services involving one or a couple of priests presiding at a communion, leading a worship session, or preaching.

Christian denominations have been forced to radically change if not entirely cull established Easter rites followed religiously on pain of excommunication or eternal damnation.

For many Christians, Easter may never be the same again.

It may also exacerbate the fear being experienced as a result of the uncertainty unleashed on the world by the real threat of Covid-19, leaving us incapable of moving forward meaningfully with our lives.

Christ’s message remains the same that God loves all unconditionally, enough to die for them, those who receive God’s love are enjoined to reciprocate by loving others, and that “perfect love drives out all fear.”

God loves all people on earth unconditionally, enough to die for them