The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
THE current global lockdown coinciding with this Easter Holiday harks back to the time when Israelites, at the behest of Moses, hunkered down in Egypt to evade the angel of death, which claimed the lives of all firstborn sons in houses whose lintel had not been smeared with blood from a sacrificial lamb.
It was a time of dread.
Similarly, the world is currently grappling with a new angel of death —the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 — that has claimed more than 90 000 lives around the globe.
The essence of the Christian faith mainly lies in communal sharing through gatherings, which, for the first time in living memory, will not be possible this year.
It is an Easter with a difference — no pilgrimages, gatherings, open services or Mass.
And this has been difficult to stomach for many considering that the Holy Week is one of the most sacred on the Christian calendar.
Senior clerics are still trying to come to terms with the sad reality.
Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (Zaoga) founder Archbishop Ezekiel Guti (96) has been ministering for close to 60 years and this is the first time he is going to spend the sacred holiday “away” from his flock.
The man of the cloth, whose ministry has a footprint in more than 143 nations, is so pained by the failure to celebrate Easter to the extent that he was reluctant to comment.
However, a senior member of the church said: “Our primary focus at the moment is on assisting in the fight against the spread of Covid-19. There is no way we can have a conference under such circumstances.”
The ongoing 21-day lockdown ends next Sunday. The attendant regulations tied to it mean festivities such as the traditional Easter egg hunt cannot take place.
Roman Catholic Church vicar-general Father Kennedy Muguti said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference ordered parishes to remain closed in compliance with Government directives. But church members, he said, are still celebrating Easter in their homes.
Live streaming
The Holy Week opened with Palm Sunday, with families praying and singing procession songs, including carrying palm fronds in their homes or around their yards.
The Catholic Church is live-streaming some of its masses.
“The video clips being posted by our congregants are really moving, they have not abandoned the faith, it is just that this year God had a different plan for us.
“I have never had such an Easter, maybe God is testing our faith. This is the time to actually invest in prayer as individuals and also pray for Zimbabwe,” said Father Muguti. He added that the faithful celebrated Holy Thursday by washing each other’s feet as part of an age-old rite that symbolises humble service, and also observed Good Friday by praying the way of the cross.
“The time also challenges those who take the Holy Mass for granted, and for priests, it is heart-breaking that this year we are celebrating without our congregants.”
Similarly, Anglican priest Reverend Tom Samtereko believes that this year’s Easter holiday is a test of individual faith.
Notwithstanding the new realities, the feast still maintains its traditional significance.
“It is very crucial for us, but we have no choice but to celebrate at home as we fight this deadly outbreak that is attacking the world.
“We may have already prepared different messages for our congregants, but everything changed. This is the time to pray for this virus to vacate the world,” said the clergyman. Like the Catholics, some Anglican bishops are live-streaming services for their congregants.
Although Presbyterian Church Reverend Johnstone Jabavu Ngcebetsha feels dispirited by the new developments, he believes it is high time Christians leveraged on modern technologies to bring the gospel to the people.
Wake-up call
“This is my first experience of such an Easter. This year the streets were robbed of all festivity; our daily evening holy masses were also scrapped. However, this is a wake-up call for the Christian community to embrace and utilise digital gadgets for the advancement of the Word of God. Church leaders have initiated pioneering efforts like live-streaming Easter sermons,” he said.
But what happens to the less-privileged members of society that cannot afford to go online?
“Unfortunately, those who do not have access to smart gadgets are left out. Besides, data is also expensive and it is not everyone who can afford it,” observed Gladtidings pastor George Kaseke.
Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) president Reverend Amon Madawo said while the church usually celebrates the holidays at cluster level, this year it is different.
Apostolic sects, which traditionally hold week-long camp meetings at various sites, are also gutted. Under normal circumstances, City of God Apostolic Church converges for its annual seven-day Easter camps in Hwedza, but this year they are celebrating in the safety of their homes.
The church’s founding bishop, Norest Pakarimwa, said since founding the church in 1987, this was the first time they were having such an Easter.
“Easter is our most important gathering and the only time that we partake the Holy Communion. Easter Friday we would fast and take to the ‘holy mountain’ for a whole day of prayer.
“It means we have to shift partaking the Holy Communion to maybe the August gathering because we cannot go for the whole year without partaking,” revealed the bishop.
Likewise, Kundiso Apostolic Church has shelved its annual Easter programmes.
Madzibaba Gamba (Martin Madzura) said: “We cannot put the health of our congregants at risk. We have to follow the necessary precautions.”
Other affected churches include Zion Christian Church, Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, African Apostolic Church, Mughodhi, Zviratidzo Zvavapostori, among others.
