By The EastAfrican

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In Exodus, in the Bible, as God visited one plague after another on Egypt, there was darkness for three days and no one left their houses.

It was the year 350AD, and in today’s parlance, Egypt was under lockdown. That is how the very first Passover was held—under lockdown. Fast forward to 2020 and Passover was also marked in Israel under lockdown. (See sidebar story).

For Christians this year, the "plague" (coronavirus), and lockdown over Easter are a test of their faith. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ will be marked at homes around the world, as the coronavirus ravages the world in biblical proportions.

It is the same in East Africa where traditions of worship have changed. In Uganda, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church has been conducting services at his residence, and the Archbishop of the Catholic Church conducted the past two masses at the main cathedral with about seven people in attendance.

Even the Pope in Rome has been addressing an empty Vatican square from St Peter’s Cathedral.

Twenty-one year old Martha Kahunde from the western Uganda town of Fort Portal, knows Easter as a season for going to church to celebrate hope and salvation. It is also marked by family get-togethers. But this year, it will be different.

Most of the world is closed. It is an extraordinary time for Christians because there is no reliving the passion of Christ, no celebration of his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, no celebration of his death and resurrection, physically together.

The message of hope is blurred by the anxieties about the virus. And as the virus spreads in every country, solace has become spiritual.

For the first time in centuries, Christians cannot meet together physically.

Governments the world over have advised people to stay indoors, and to avoid gatherings such as religious meetings. Mass and services have been cancelled, and spiritual activities moved online or indoors.

“We are going to watch a live-stream of Easter services on different media platforms provided by our church, then prepare a feast as usual. After lunch, we will play gospel music at home and that will be it. Our Easter of 2020,” said Ms Kahunde.

The Easter tradition in her family was that after Good Friday church service, they would head to her grandmother’s house, a 30-minute drive, for lunch, then the family would visit a public entertainment place. None of this will happen this year.

“The whole situation feels surreal, but it will be good family time,’’ she said, finding a silver lining in the cloud.

For businessman Julius Kibuuka, 28, who sells second-hand phones in Kampala imported from China and Dubai, Easter will be marked in quarantine.

In a WhatsApp conversation, he said he returned to the country a few weeks before the borders were closed and was placed under institutional quarantine at a hotel in Entebbe.

He had already served the mandatory two weeks, but since one person at the centre tested positive to Covid-19, the government required them to stay a further 14 days, which will take them into Easter.

The government of Uganda banned all public gatherings and transport, and closed churches, mosques and all places of worship for 32 days. The Easter weekend falls under this period.

A typical Ugandan Easter season sees the emptying of urban centres and major towns, as families travel to their villages.

A week ago, Christians marked Palm Sunday online as television stations broadcast services.

Mobile money has come in handy for tithing and offertory.

Holy week

The Catholic Church’s Holy Week is marked with a re-enaction of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and the Way of the Cross.

Joan Muwema, a Catholic said; “On Holy Thursday, we wash our feet in church and pray. This time I am greatly hurt that we won’t be able to celebrate Easter in church.

She however says her family will dress up and follow proceedings on TV because “the church is the people and the people weren’t closed, it is the buildings that are closed”.

In Rwanda, the government outlawed gatherings, and the church has continued without the physical presence of congregants.

Online platforms like YouTube keep churches in touch with their members.

According to Mary Kamanzi, the head of Peaceplan in Rwanda an umbrella of Pentecostal Christian churches, they are encouraging family fellowship. “Church has shifted to worshipping God wherever one finds themselves.”

She said for Easter, churches will hold services online and either live-stream them or record them and share.

“There is more focus on family level prayer, which has created depth and bonded families more. We recently held a national prayer day, but it was in families, and for Sunday services, churches have gone online,’’ she said.

“A lot has been happening on WhatsApp groups. We have seen an increase in the number of people giving to the needy, to those who are economically affected by the lockdown.”

Home fellowships are organised on the Zoom platform and other virtual meeting platforms.

There was backlash when a Pentecostal church leader in Rwanda posted a bank account and mobile money details on Twitter, through which believers could send money. The public construed it as milking an already devastated congregation instead of giving back to the community.

Reverend Antoine Rutayisire, a prominent cleric, defended the church saying they were still incurring expenses like salaries and rent.

The story is different in Tanzania, where there are no restrictions on movement and gatherings.

Leaders of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) are maintaining service traditions and have issued guidelines that are in line with the Ministry of Health regulations such as no shaking of hands.

TEC secretary general Father Charles Kitima said Mass will go ahead as planned, but urged churches to take preventative measures and the sick have been asked not to attend.

In many churches in Dar es Salaam, Holy water at the entrance has been replaced with hand sanitisers or plain water and soap.

“Ours is to ensure that the liturgical service does not become a vehicle of spreading the coronavirus,” said Fr Kitima.

Kibuuka in quarantine in Uganda said, “I thought I would be home by Easter with my wife and children to celebrate together. It will be the first time we celebrate Easter like this.”

There will be no Easter service, family outing or visit this Easter. He plans to video call his family, wish them a happy Easter and promise to go back bearing gifts for his three-year-old daughter.

By Jonathan Kamoga, Moses Gahigi and Rose Mirembe.