Easter 2020: Time of Hope or Time of Fear?

We live in an unprecedented time in our lives. A time that will never be forgotten. A recent Guardian article about Italy reported:

'A generation has died': Italian province struggles to bury its coronavirus dead

'Coffins awaiting burial are lining up in churches and the corpses of those who died at home are being kept in sealed-off rooms for days as funeral services struggle to cope in Bergamo, the Italian province hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Wednesday, Covid-19 had killed 2,978 across Italy, all buried or cremated without ceremony. Those who die in hospital do so alone, with their belongings left in bags beside coffins before being collected by funeral workers.

In Bergamo, a province of 1.2 million people in the Lombardy region, where 1,959 of the total deaths in the country have taken place, 4,305 people had contracted the virus by Wednesday. The death toll across the province is unclear, but the situation has become so intense that on Wednesday night the army was brought in to move 65 coffins from the cemetery in Bergamo town and take them to Modena and Bologna in Emilia-Romagna.'

Yet that was written two weeks go now on the 19th of March. The death toll here in Italy continues to rise with the figure now standing at 14,681 (4th April). We are losing on average over 700 people each day. Across much of the world we are faced with a similar picture now. The virus is still spreading fast. But- as one recent headline stated: 'Fear is spreading faster than the virus'.
However amid this fear is not shared by everyone. We read on the 24th of March in USA Today:

'Italian priest with coronavirus who gave his ventilator to younger patient has reportedly died'

'An Italian priest who contracted the new coronavirus died after he gave up a ventilator so a younger patient could have one, local media reports say.

Don Giuseppe Berardelli, 72, was the archpriest of Casnigo, a town in northern Italy about 50 miles northeast of Milan.

According to Italian news site Prima Bergamo, Berardelli died sometime between March 15 and 16 and was being treated at a hospital in nearby Lovere, as his condition worsened.

A health care worker at the hospital told the Italian online news outlet Araberara that Berardelli was given a ventilator but the priest refused it so someone who was younger than him could use it.'

A man who clearly believed that death is not the end. Another man who shared that belief was C.S. Lewis. In another time, 70 years ago, he wrote his famous book: 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'.  In this book- which was later made into a film- he portayed the hero of the story, the lion, Aslan, conquering death:

C.S. Lewis described Aslan as the alternative version of Jesus as the form in which Jesus may have appeared in in an alternative reality.The story is set in Narnia, deriving from Narni, Italy- Narnia in Latin. Easter 70 years ago in England. Easter 70 years later in Italy. To believers not a very different world: A world of dangers and fears but- at the same time-   great hope. Hope that death is not the end.  Hope that death has been conquered. 2020 years ago  outside a city wall in Jerusalem.

Surely it was this time- not ours- that was truly unprecedented? A time that was never  forgotten but recorded in detail by Jesus' followers.

 2020 years later. The younger generation will, no doubt, have their own tales to pass down to their grandchildren. Spring and Easter in the time of the Corona Virus. Tales of  the bad: the hoarding, fake news and fake fears.  Along with tales of the good:  from the donations in supermaket trolleys to the donation of the life-saving ventilator of Father Giuseppe Berardelli. Let's hope that along with the new tales they are still sharing an important tale from 2000 years ago. One that can truly give real hope in a time of fear.

The Walk to Emmaus

LUKE Ch 24: 13-24

13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

19 “What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat,[b] he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!'