NOT JUST A BUILDING
Central Florida religious leaders say social distancing during services will remain — at least for now
Churches, synagogues and mosques were mostly empty for Easter, Passover and Ramadan this year as socialdistancing rules prevented large gatherings. Those restrictions will slowly begin to loosen by next weekend, including in Seminole County, where more people will be allowed into places of worship starting Monday. This comes as the state of Florida, which had issued a stay-at-home order, also eases customers back into restaurants and other public places at reduced capacity.
Religious leaders say offering virtual services — as they have been for weeks — has been a strain on their congregations because a significant benefit of worshiping together is the handshake, hug or eye contact that can’t happen over a screen.
“It’s definitely not been the same,” said the
Right Rev. Gregory Brewer, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. “The purpose of public worship is to get together and pray together and support one another together in those prayers. It’s also a time to reflect on a sense of corporate identity of who we are as God’s children.”
Still, some of the changes to longtime rituals brought by the first global pandemic to hit the U.S. in modern times are here to stay — at least for now. Religious leaders in Central Florida say they are in no rush to open their doors to large gatherings of worshipers any time soon. Public health officials across the state warn that resuming large crowds too soon could cause a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak.
For that reason, religious leaders say many worshipers will feel apprehensive about returning too quickly to in-person services.
Leaders of all faiths say services likely won’t look the same as they did before the pandemic for quite some time. There will be fewer handshakes, less hugging and worshipers will want to stand several feet apart during services.
“It’s certainly likely that people will — and probably should — maintain precautions like fist-bumping or elbow bumping instead of handshakes or hugs for a while,” said Rabbi David Kay, of Congregation Ohev Shalom in Maitland.
Imam Tariq Rasheed, of the Islamic Center of Orlando, added this year’s ongoing month of Ramadan — which began at sundown April 23 and continues through May 23 — has been particularly difficult. It is a time when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and then gather for a nightly feast with family and fellow worshipers.
“The most challenging is not being able to come and pray together at the mosque,” he said. “That is the most disheartening part of this pandemic. Muslims come to the mosque every day [during Ramadan], sometimes 250 to 300 members every day, but that has now dropped to only 5 or 6 members because of CDC guidelines. I personally made an appeal that people must not come. And that has been very hard.”
The Rev. Dr. David Swanson, senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, agreed that many of the customs and rituals of the past will likely be different.
“After the worst of this over, people will be either more comfortable or less comfortable with levels of contact” with fellow worshipers during services, Swanson said. “And some things may change. How you pass the collection plate. Whether we shake hands. How we baptize children.”
In Seminole, county officials first limited social gatherings — including church services — to no more than 10 people. Under a new executive order that takes effect Monday, Seminole will allow places of assembly to operate with a limit of up to 50% of a building’s allowed capacity.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ stayat-home did not ban religious gatherings.
But as religion provides a way for communal worship, it also can be a source of personal reflection and improvement, religious leaders say. Being isolated at home for many Central Floridians over the past two months has also provided some lessons.
Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said the stay-athome orders have meant that more people understand what it means to feel alone or isolated in a way that many older people confined to nursing homes or the sick in hospitals likely felt before the pandemic changed life in Central Florida.
“This experience has forced us to consider what changes we have to incorporate to be able to reach people who are sick at home, or the elderly who cannot travel to the mosque,” Musri said. “These people, even in normal times, have been in quarantine. So, we feel their pain now. We understand what they have been going through.”
Many families are now becoming closer by spending more time at home, he said. Before the coronavirus, people would rush off to work or to school during the day, Musri said. At night, they were too tired to talk to each other.
“One of the benefits that has been realized is that a lot of people are staying at home with their families, with their kids. And they can for the first time in a while to talk to each other and develop their spirituality and get to know each other, frankly,” Musri said. “I’m hearing many positive stories of people reconciling. So, it’s not all bad. It is heartbreaking to lose so
many people in the community and in the world [to COVID-19]. But we believe that God has, in his infinite wisdom, a reason for everything.”
The Revs. David and Megan Collins, pastors of Maitland Presbyterian Church, have been connecting with parishioners online from their home through Zoom and Facebook live. On Easter Sunday, for example, the couple streamed online a sunrise service from their backyard. Their church also had online classes and group meetings.
“Something that we always try to tell people is that the church is not a building, but a community,” Rev. David Collins said.
Rev. Megan Collins agreed saying it will still be a while before her entire congregation can gather for services. Like Musri, she added that the stay-athome orders have led to a greater understanding for the elderly and sick.
“This has raised an awareness of the challenges being isolated,” Rev. Megan Collins said.
Rabbi Yanky Majesky, of Chabad Lubavitch of North Orlando, in Longwood, said he’s heard from members of his synagogue who have not attended services regularly. They are now offering to donate or deliver food to needy families or to individuals who have lost their jobs.
“Yes, there are some challenges,” Majesky said. “But I think the community is stronger than ever now. When you go through a crisis, you come out stronger ... We can’t be sad or depressed that we can’t be together . ... And without a doubt, there are some beautiful things that will come out of this. We’re all serving the same God.”