04.12.20 Easter in a lockdown

What does it feel like to celebrate the death of Christ when we’re under lockdown when we can’t go to church when we can’t gather with our friends or go out for dinner? What does it feel like to praise God at a time when your investment, the business you have worked so hard to grow, is now at risk of falling?

Well, the answer seems obvious to everyone: it feels strange. It doesn’t feel like it is Easter and in fact, for so many people around the world, Easter may have approached unnoticed!

However, we would like to remind you that this Easter is a unique experience that tells a lot about what it felt like on the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Behind locked doors, those who had devoted themselves to follow Jesus were gathered, for fear of persecution.

“Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ ” John 20:19 NKJV.

The world is in fear and uncertainty right now. So many families have lost their loved ones and have not had a chance to hold funeral services for the deceased. But be reminded that Christ is there for us no matter what we are going through. In fact, so many people have always lived in pain and suffering and this lockdown is nothing to them. Here in Uganda, abject poverty, chronic disease, injustice, sexual harassment, and many other afflictions, are way more than this current problem. Some people have nothing to lose in such a time because they have been through worse situations. Many people who are on ART for HIV infection have no access to hospitals in Uganda because of a lack of transport. Those who have been in prisons have gone through pain and suffering more than simply being locked in your house with your family.

While you might be worried or uncertain about what is going on, we would like to remind you that many people have been through worse situations. The cause of panic is just because this pandemic is affecting the whole world, bringing businesses, projects, and all sorts of plans to a standstill. Many startups are going to fail, but so many people have always failed in the past. Millions of people are losing employment, but remember that millions more have been unemployed and they still survived.

God will deliver us if we trust him. We have confidence in our faith that God is in control because He knew this would happen. The kind of life we live in Africa, plus the experiences we have through interactions with the people we serve have taught us big lessons. People live in poor conditions but they still love God. Some are too poor and unexposed to the extent that they don’t know what’s going on. Some do not even know God and a day like this is meaningless to them. And yet God still protects them and provides them with food amazing ways.

We worry about the things that we have started and worked for, but God is reminding us that even without those things, His love is sufficient.

And that’s why He died for us.

Let’s keep our eyes upon Him for deliverance. Soon you will realize that life is back to normal. May God Keep you safe and give you peace and the joy of His Salvation.