Post 32 - April 12, 2020
Day 32…
Today, in the Christian calendar, is Easter.
The 40-day period before Easter is called Lent. It is customary during Lent to give up certain luxuries during Lent to honor Christ’s 40-day journey into the desert.
It seems that we’ve all done that.
This year Lent began on February 26 and lasted through this past Thursday, April 9.
February 26 was the day that California announced the first case in the US with no clear source of exposure. It was the realization that the virus was here and the beginning of what led to us all giving up the luxury of freely living our lives.
Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection after his crucifixion.
For many people around the world, these holy days are an observance, itself, of hope and renewal.
In the Northern Hemisphere (where all these celebrations began) they occur in Spring when the earth renews for another year.
The name Easter is thought to come from Eostara, the Germanic pagan goddess of rebirth.
The Feast of Eostara celebrated earth’s springtime resurrection and rebirth.
Easter is also historically connected to the Jewish holiday of Passover that we celebrated this past week.
Across the boards, this is customarily a time of hope.
And there are signs of hope.
Hospitalizations in New York City seem to have truly plateaued. The rate of new patients admitted has significantly dropped.
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been released from the hospital after he contracted a serious case of the coronavirus. Whatever you think of him politically, this was the worst time possible for England to be without its’ leader. He still needs to recover fully, but he’s at home doing that.
Yes these signs are hopeful, but we cannot let them make us think that this is over.
It isn’t over yet by a long shot and in some ways, we are now going to be facing the hardest part of this.
New cases, in New York, it seems anyway, are dropping.
If we take these signals as an “all clear” we are going to end up right back where we are.
The US has now passed Italy with the highest number of reported deaths.
Despite that, there are people who don’t believe that this is happening.
There are churches all across the country who are taking the stay at home orders as a violation of their right of freedom of assembly and their right to practice religion.
There are churches across this country who plan on holding Easter services today as usual.
People WILL die as a result.
What will be the signal that we can go back to our lives?
I don’t know, but I think realistically it’s going to be the development and production of a vaccine.
That could be six months away. Or less. Or more.
Nobody really knows yet.
If we go back to our lives as usual before a vaccine, what will stop the virus from ramping up again?
As difficult as it is - especially on days like this that are typically days when large numbers of people get together in the same place to celebrate - stay home.
The weather is gorgeous outside.
Stay home.
Whatever your faith, let’s celebrate the renewal of the season together.
Download Zoom. The basic app is free.
Not all of our elderly friends and family have a working knowledge of the internet.
Call them and listen to their voice.
Let them hear yours.
For people of faith, many churches are figuring out how to use zoom and other apps to reach out to their congregants.
You don’t need to go to church in person.
For now, join in online.
Nobody is taking away your freedom to practice your religion.
They are merely asking you to do it from home FOR NOW so that you don’t KILL someone.
Whether you practice religion or not, we have each other.
We have this beautiful planet that is getting a much-needed break from all of us.
There are signs of renewal everywhere.
Take them in.
They are signals of hope.
Happy Easter.
Happy Passover.
Happy Spring.