During a month of many religious holidays – Easter and Passover, for example – millions of people are turning to a previously unconventional form of worship, virutal worship. On Easter morning, Christians around the country will be putting on their best clothes, sitting on the couch, opening the laptop or turning on the TV, and tuning into their Easter service. Not really the Easter celebration we normally picture. Family and friends, church service, Easter egg hunts, long brunches. All these aspects that seemingly characterize Easter are missing. So, what is left? The Coronavirus pandemic has stripped Easter of its superficial – yet admittedly enjoyable – traditions and left only one thing, faith. Easter is now solely about faith and the sacrifice of Christ. This article raises the interesting point about how, although no one wishes for a pandemic, it brings about the unique opportunity to appreciate religion for spiritiual rather than superficial reasons. This same experience is being felt by members of other religions across the world. People are even holding seders with their families over Zoom. Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or something else entirely, your faith is being tested and given the opportunity to grow.
“The theology of suffering is: God, if you’ve got to make me walk through those tough times for me to be closer to you and more faithful in my walk, I’m willing to let you do that,” Dorrell said. This may be an Easter of solitude. But Easter by the river will return again. “We’ll go back out,” Dorrell said, “and have baptism there when this thing cleans out.”
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