Pandemic Easter

Our Reporter

As the commemoration of Easter takes place amid surreal scenes of empty churches, deserted streets and forlorn public spaces, the disruption wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic paradoxically serves to remind everyone of the sacrifice, patience and ultimate triumph which are the reason for the season.

The pandemic has brutally reminded humanity of its mortality and exposed the shallowness of the blind techno-optimism which has come to define contemporary attitudes and actions. Caught up in the self-serving narrative of never-ending scientific progress and ever-increasing prosperity, the world has apparently forgotten the principles of humility, modesty, empathy and selflessness, which constitute the bedrock of most religious and philosophical beliefs.

Several prominent religious leaders have offered reassurances concerning the current situation. Speaking on Palm Sunday in a virtually empty St. Paul’s Basilica, Pope Francis said “the tragedy we are experiencing summons us to take seriously the things that are serious, and not to be caught up in those that matter less, to rediscover that life is of no use if not used to serve others.”

Pastor E.A. Adeboye of The Redeemed Christian Church of God told his remote congregation at the church’s Special Monthly Service that “all would be well at this time.” Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission described the global lockdown as “a walkthrough” and claimed that “there was light at the end of the tunnel.”

These remarks are timely reminders of the need not to be overwhelmed by an admittedly terrifying experience. However, they also imply the need for a thorough re-examination of the attitudes and assumptions that have made humanity so vulnerable to fear and panic in the wake of COVID-19.

It is not as if the world has not been here before. Indeed, pandemics and epidemics have been a tragic reality of the human experience. A succession of plagues ravaged the mediterranean world between 430 BC and and 542 AD. Bubonic plague hit Europe in the 15th century, and struck again in London in 1665, in Marseille in 1720, and in Russia in 1770. In more recent times, the Spanish Flu of 1918 and the Asian Flu of 1957 have taken huge tolls in human lives.

While it is true that modern medicine has ensured that the world is much less vulnerable to such afflictions, the very interconnectedness of contemporary life has paradoxically made it more open to the depredations of new diseases. As COVID-19 has shown, distance is no longer an obstacle hampering the rapid transmission of an infection.

COVID-19, with its death, disruption and desolation, is a grim reminder of the fact of human frailty. The massive casualty count shows that there are limits to current medical therapies. The country-wide lockdowns in different parts of the world contradict many assumptions about the benefits of globalization. A highly-infectious disease has, in essence, forced humanity to be more patient, more considerate and more empathetic, qualities that have become increasingly irrelevant in a selfish world.

In Nigeria, politicians have been compelled to act with greater concern for the welfare of the citizenry. Many irredeemably incompetent state governors, for instance, have been shamed into imitating the widely-commended proactiveness of the Lagos State Government. Corporate organizations, wealthy individuals and civic groups have come forward to make remarkably generous donations. In spite of the practical difficulties inherent in adhering to abrupt stay-at-home orders, many citizens have responded to clearly inconvenient regulations with commendable consistency.

As a religious festival, Easter is particularly relevant to the predicament the world finds itself in. Given its status as a ritual of sacrifice, death, resurrection and rebirth, it speaks to precisely those fears and hopes which confront a world that has been savagely reminded of its own transience. It offers faith as an antidote for despair; it gives hope in place of fear; it promises ultimate triumph over temporary tragedy.

In essence, Easter 2020 provides a new context for living. Largely denied of the materialism and over-indulgence that normally characterize celebrations of the festival, the world must look at itself with new eyes. Is it not better to work for communal aspirations rather than focusing solely on personal ones? Can governance return to its original purpose of service instead of self-enrichment? Should loving one’s neighbour not be a practical duty as opposed to a religious injunction?

Easter also reminds the world of the vital necessity of faith and belief as a complement to science and technology. The most heart-warming scenes throughout the COVID-19 crisis have been the selflessness and dedication of national and sub-national leaders, health workers, service delivery personnel and other frontline combatants whose confidence in their own abilities and love for those they serve is reminiscent of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Without love and compassion, all the science and technology in the world is meaningless.

In this season of hope, sacrifice, redemption and triumph, it is important that the spirit of Easter permeate the actions and attitudes of all Nigerians as the country continues to battle COVID-19. If the crisis is able to bring out the best in the citizenry, and if those qualities become more enduring in national life, the lessons of Easter will have been truly imbibed.