Contributed Photo by Ed Barels / The Rev. Brad WhitakerEditor's note: The Rev. Brad Whitaker, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in downtown Chattanooga, was Hamilton County's first confirmed case of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. He is now fully recovered. This is his Easter message.
"Do not be afraid" is a message of hope in the midst of a pandemic, and it is the first message of Easter, spoken by an angel to the first witnesses of Jesus' resurrection.
The months of March and April have been historic in the midst of the spread of COVID-19. They are also months of celebrations for the world's five largest religions. As a priest in the Episcopal church, my faith in the risen Christ is my chosen path to a deeper relationship with God. As I celebrate this Easter, I also keep in my prayers those whose journey toward God is upon a different path.
Happy Easter! Do not be afraid! That's easy to say, isn't it? It sounds like some sort of verbal emoji trying to magically make someone feel unafraid. Trying to tell someone who feels afraid not to feel afraid is not very effective. But, on this Easter Day in the throes of a pandemic, hearing "Do not be afraid" from a messenger of the Lord (Matthew 28) may actually be words that hold real power for those of us who are afraid of COVID-19.
When my children were very small, we were intentional in teaching them the importance of greeting others. We taught them to shake hands firmly, to look others in the eye and to say hello. In Southern states, we take great pride in our manners. Teaching this lesson was a journey, and the message behind the manner of shaking hands was the most important thing. Human beings need connection. For Christians, St. Paul spoke of this community like a body, the body of Christ. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12). The greeting of a handshake says, "I see you as a part of the same body to which I belong." Similar physical greetings exist in cultures around the world. It is human to reach out to others in greeting for connection and to offer a sign of peace and comfort.
For weeks we have been required to be intentional about disconnecting from one another. How can we be intentional about reconnecting? I suspect many of us are becoming starved for the connection. Perhaps this time of unnatural separation from one another can be turned into a gift where we learn new ways to see the divine in others.
As I dealt with my own bout with COVID-19, I was fortunate to recover from home. The illness and the necessary isolation reminded me of my great dependence on my God, my family, those who hold me in prayer and those whose life work is to aid in the healing of others. All of these contributed to my recovery. The resurrection of Jesus reconnects humanity to our calling, to who we were created to be. As we celebrate the Easter resurrection today, may we remember that we are created to be in relationship, to offer connection and to reach out with signs of peace and comfort.
Happy Easter! Do not be afraid!
Finally, let's remember with blessing and thanks to those whose vocations require them to be at risk outside their homes, those who work to support the entire body. To them, I offer these words taken from a blessing for nurses, "For a Nurse," by John O'Donohue, a blessing that also extends to all essential workers, from grocery store clerks to ICU nurses, from truck drivers to epidemiologists.
May you embrace the beauty in what you do
And how you stand like a secret angel
Between the bleak despair of illness
And the unquenchable light of spirit
That can turn the darkest destiny towards dawn.
May you come to inherit
The blessings of your kindness
And never be without care and love
When winter enters your own life.
Happy Easter, my friends. Do not be afraid!