So, Easter wasn’t cancelled but it might as well have been. I don’t recall more subdued Easter celebrations and I wouldn’t even regard them as “celebrations” per se as Christians and indeed everybody had more pressing matters to deal with, to the extent that some people weren’t even aware it was Easter weekend. And those who were weren’t exactly jumping for joy at the prospect of yet another extended break with little to do to kill the time and no place to go as all hangouts remain closed. This time last year, thousands of Christians were filling churches and other places of worship to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. This time round, they had to do with streamed services for what many regard as the most important event on the Christian calendar. Pope Francis tried to convey a positive message of hope and solidarity, but you could sense his sadness at having to address an almost empty Basilica that would have been packed with devout Catholics had it not been for the disruptions occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic. For a man who likes to invite homeless people and migrants to the Vatican, especially around this time, wash their feet and share a meal with them, this must have been challenging and the irony is not lost of course. How do you celebrate Christ’s resurrection when thousands of body bags continue to pile up in mortuaries, funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries from Italy, Spain, UK and France to Ecuador, Colombia, and several parts of Asia and Africa? No wonder there was little to celebrate this year with long observed Easter traditions like carols and special productions having been cancelled several weeks earlier with all the social distancing rules going on. Plus, your average family is struggling and everyone is trying to save as much as they can because no one really knows how long this is going to last. This must be what the very first Easter felt like. The apostles and followers of Jesus scared and uncertain in the wake of his crucifixion. He would rise three days later but they didn’t know that, just like we all don’t know when COVID-19 will no longer be the threat it is today, and whether our lives will ever return to normal. The hope is that somehow, the elusive curve will flatten soon or one of those research teams working on a vaccine will have a breakthrough or else!
