If anything, the Covid-19 crisis has pointed to us a change
in the usual patterns that we are used to. Restricted and cancelled religious
services, lock downs, social distancing, empty streets, isolation and quarantines
have brought us to a strange feeling. There is a heightened anxiety among
people and rightly so. We find a breakdown of the usual, of traditions as old
as we can remember and beyond, and of not being able to go to church as usual. Everyone
has taken the work from home option seriously and churches aren’t far away.
Political parties are trying their best to stand together
but can’t help criticizing each other as well. Perhaps this is to maintain a
political relevance. One has to say something different whether there is a need
or whether it is right or wrong. Otherwise there is a fear that one political
dispensation may run off with the laurels. It is another thing that we are no
where close to even saying whether we can successfully deal with the crisis. Even
if one political party is ideologically opposed to another, they still believe
that the crisis will be averted by the other. So even though their arguments
challenge the various governments, they also show an underlying trust in them.
The point is that a virus and a crisis cannot be averted by a few people but only
by many coming together. It would be nice to see the political parties in India
coming together and standing closely for the period of this crisis.
The same applies to Christian denominations. The example of
politicians is important because there seems to be a high level of politicisation
of churches and denominations. There is a politics in everything. Unfortunately,
one wonders whether that is being expressed in the spiritual response to Covid-19! Live streaming of services, letters from bishops, priests leading
prayers, are all from within denominations to their ‘own’ people. Even as a pandemic,
challenges the entire world population, services and ministry are being offered
based on caste, race, region and denomination. Repentance and the kingdom of
God are still not being talked of with force and rather church buildings, clergy
attire, liturgical uniqueness, language and denominational faith, and not faith
in Christ Jesus is taking prominence.
Priests can’t hold a service properly because people can’t
congregate. They have no control of anything and yet they try to live stream
denominational worships and nothing beyond that. Covid-19 has hit at the root
of worship and yet denominations can’t come together to chart out an ecumenical
expression and response. We would instead like to leave that to ecumenical
bodies and continue our spirited denominational services!
A pandemic cannot be
handled alone. A single country cannot control it because we are connected to
other countries in several ways. It is not about us and them but about all of
us. A country cannot depend on a single political party and government to fight
this virus. The limitations are visible for everyone to see. Similarly, one
denomination cannot pray and hope for the wiping out of the virus. We must pray
together, and our worship places, crosses, priests, pastors, lay leaders and
people must be available to one another. It is a time to work ecumenically and
preach the Christ that we all know and have experienced, in various ways, to all
who want peace and strength. The virus is leading us through unknown routes.
Our spiritual response should also chart different routes, and yet have an
affirmation as one people of God.
The concept of a physical church building has already been
challenged by the Covid-19 virus. So much that many church leaders are openly telling
people to congregate at home and even pray individually. But somehow the attachment
to the physical church and denomination continues just like political parties
who want every bit of work that they do to translate as votes later. Similarly,
the live streaming of denominational services also looks like calling for a
certain denominational faithfulness and not a Christ centered approach.
This certainly has to change to the point that the churches everywhere
must have a more universal approach to what they are doing. This must make them
available to people beyond their geographical area and denomination. We can
have our arguments and assertions later, to well beyond the wiping out of the
virus completely. For now, we don’t even know how soon we can afford to have a
normal and peaceful church service, like we used to. I hope priests and pastors
from all churches and denominations will accept this call to minister to a
wider public and people, beyond denomination and even religion. Perhaps we can
also come together as priests and pastors of various denominations and pray to
God, for a blessed intervention. Such unity from below may indeed bring about a
great and worthy response from God. Ordinary people are looking for hope and
peace and not just at the colour of our cassock and the style of our prayer.
(Picture from www.pcecumenism.ca)
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