Easter

Tomorrow is Easter, the day the Great Pretender vowed to make great again by "opening" America. That absurd goal was announced on national television on March 24, just 19 days ago. From that date to April 10 the number of new cases worldwide more than doubled, growing from 39,792 to 85,054 daily.*

During the week leading up to Easter, which most Christians call Holy Week, the number of new cases in the United States has grown by an estimated average of 30,821 per day, reaching a total number of 502,876 cases on April 11.** Not a propitious time to be exposing thousands more Americans to the virus.

The closure of houses of worship has understandably been controversial. We are guaranteed the right of free worship by the Constitution, and it is not something easily interrupted.

It must be noted that not all churches in all states are closed. Where closures have been declared, not all have been by government fiat. In the case of larger denominations the decision has been made by their governing body, and is therefore more likely to be respected by their parishioners than any order from a temporal governing power.

There has been a groundswell of pressure in some areas to open churches for Easter, and we understand that. Going to church on Sunday, and celebrating the great holy days in company with fellow believers has been a lifelong ritual for many of us. Yet even for the most devout, bricks and mortar and crowds, even clergy, are unnecessary: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."***

True believers in Jesus understand and believe this: that they themselves are the church, and wherever just a few of them get together, be it in a forest or barn or living room, there Jesus is also.

The demands of some clergy to open churches indicate that they either do not know or do not understand Scripture. Or they don't care. Opening churches in the face of disease would be a vanity: a worldly desire to be seen as a leader and a person in touch with God.

The Latin word pastor means shepherd. Many Christian denominations use the term pastor for their clergy because those people are supposed to lead, guide, protect, and shelter us, and to provide us with (spiritual) sustenance.

We have seen a number of claims from clergy that worshipers who attend their church on Easter will be in some way divinely protected from, or even cured of, COVID-19.

Anyone who claims to hear, to understand, or to act directly on the word of God is delusional, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."****

Those who make these claims are not pastors. They are tempters, liars, deceivers and frauds, and they are flouting the third Commandment. If any one such succeeds in gathering people to them on Easter, and if any one of that congregation sickens or dies from COVID-19 as a result, they should have serious criminal charges brought against them.

So find a pleasant place where your family and maybe a few friends can join you, and have a safe, joyous, and blessed Easter,

-- Diogenes


*Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1103046/new-coronavirus-covid19-cases-number-worldwide-by-day/

**Evaluate: https://www.evaluate.com/covid-19-daily-update

***Matthew 18:20, KJV

****Isaiah 55:8, KJV