Introduction
COVID-19 has had huge and debilitating impact on every aspect of the global economy. In Nigeria, the impact of COVID-19 has been devastating across all sectors of society. The COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant consequences have compounded to the despicable situation of the current Nigeria. Unemployment, poverty, inflation, banditry, stealing, marauding, kidnapping, killing, insecurity, etcetera, have become the new normal and the government only involves itself when a politically-exposed person (PEP) or a large number of people are affected. In many instances, the government keeps mute even where both circumstances above occur.
While the Federal Government, like an Agama lizard that fell from the roof, is applauding itself for the job done so far, the reality is that the fabric that holds the nation is being torn apart. Therefore, there is a need for all tiers of government, organisations and individuals to work towards eradicating the dreadful pandemic from Nigeria. The religious world, which includes churches, is not spared from this duty and role. In fact, it occupies a key role in the fight to curbing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease has since spread worldwide, leading to an ongoing pandemic. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was announced on February 27, 2020, when an Italian citizen in Lagos tested positive for the virus. On March 9, 2020, a second case of the virus was reported in Ewekoro, Ogun State.
Data from the official website of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on May 12, 2021, at 1:55pm, showed that there were 165,468 confirmed cases of the virus in Nigeria: 7,085 active cases, 156,318 discharged cases and 2,065 deaths. One unique trait about COVID-19 in Nigeria is that every state, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has at least five confirmed case of the virus.
COVID-19 spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. So, it is important that everyone regularly practice standard respiratory etiquette. At the moment, the virus has no cure. However, it is believed that even when an effective vaccine is developed, it will not end the pandemic unless it is within reach of all people in all countries.
Impacts of COVID-19
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – direct and indirect – are grave, global and unprecedented. In a mere five months, the virus spread all over the world, reaching 216 nations and territories, resulting certainly in many more than the six million cases of infection officially confirmed, and the deaths of more than 379,000 people, including many healthcare and other frontline workers.
Public health systems in the worst affected countries have been stretched to the limit and beyond, access to essential health services for many other conditions has been compromised, and the disruption of routine immunization services is putting an estimated 80 million children – in rich and poor countries alike – at risk of diseases like diphtheria, measles and polio. Approximately 1.2 billion students – 70% of the world’s student population – have had their education disrupted by the closure of educational institutions. Moreover, closures, lockdowns and isolation measures have been attended by a sharply increased incidence of domestic violence and abuse against women and children.
Economies have been tipped into recession, unemployment driven to record levels, the livelihoods of vast numbers of people around the world imperiled, food insecurity massively increased, and life in countries and communities already mired in poverty has been made even more precarious. While water, hygiene and waste management services are essential to prevent the transmission of the virus, this pandemic is occurring in the context of a global water crisis in which billions of people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water, sanitation services or even basic handwashing facilities.
With its concurrent impacts on health, education and income, the pandemic is expected to provoke an overall reversal in global human development, and significantly to disrupt progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Meanwhile, natural and human-made disasters, such as the recent tropical storm in El Salvador, the locust plague in East Africa, and the conflict in Cameroon and many other pre-existing challenges afflicting the world are still rampaging, but with less attention and diminished capacity to respond.
Daily life for people and communities around the world has been radically altered. Physical distancing has reshaped human interaction in many contexts – including worship and religious observances. Many church communities have been unable to gather for months, even during the Lenten and Easter seasons, the holiest days in the Christian calendar.
Though in some ways the pandemic has been a great equalizer in its range and global impact, it is also exposing and exacerbating the deep divisions, injustices, economic inequalities and racism in our societies. The virus does not respect borders, wealth or status and is affecting all people directly or indirectly. But it especially threatens the most vulnerable people – those suffering from chronic illness, the aged, the poor, racial minorities, indigenous peoples, disabled people, migrants and displaced people, and all those living on the margins of society. It is, therefore, clear that the fight against COVID-19 cannot be fought by nations alone, as its impacts are far too devastating and wide to control. Consequently, individuals and organisations need to join the fight against COVID-19, the church included
The role of the Church in the COVID-19 era
Religious centres are among the institutions or bodies affected by COVID-19. During the first wave of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the government suspended religious gatherings and ordered a nationwide lockdown with a view to halt the spread of the virus. Though the lockdown has been eased, the virus is still being transmitted, according to NCDC. This calls for concern. Consequently, everyone, including the church, must not be complacent in the fight against COVID-19. This article aims to examine the role of the church in this COVID-19 era.
In Matthew 16:17-19, Jesus Christ presented a perfect description of the Church in the society. He said:
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
The word “Church” does not refer to a building or an organization, but to a people who understand their identity in Christ. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus pronounced, “…you are ‘peteros’ (speaking of a rock-splinter or a small piece of rock, which comes from a bigger rock ‘petra’) and upon this ‘petra’, upon this revelation of who I am and who you are, upon this revelation of my true identity and your true identity revealed, I will build my ‘Church.’
The Church is not an agency of the state. However, it is an integral part of the state. In Chapter II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the state is mandated to ensure that religious and cultural life are not endangered. Thus, when the state is threatened by a disease, it has the authority to adopt measures justified by law towards religious and cultural life. It is expected of everyone, including the Church, to complement the efforts of the state.
Origin of the Church
The Christian church originated in Roman Judea in the first century AD/CE, founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whose disciples came to be known as the first “Christians.” For many Christians, the holiday of Pentecost (an event that occurred after Jesus’ ascension to Heaven) represents the birthday of the Church, which was signified by the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. The leadership of the Christian church began with the Apostles (disciples). The Church spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, gaining major establishments in cities such as Jerusalem, Antioch and Edessa.
As history teaches, the religion of Christianity upon which the Church is built, quickly became a widely persecuted religion. It was condemned by the Jewish authorities as a heresy, which initially led to the rejection, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. The Roman authorities persecuted it because, like Judaism, its monotheistic teachings were fundamentally foreign to the polytheistic traditions of the ancient world and a challenge to the imperial cult. Notwithstanding, the Church continued to grow rapidly until it was finally legalized and then promoted by Emperors Constantine I and Theodosius I in the 4th century as the state church of the Roman Empire. The Church came to be a central and defining institution of the empire, especially in the East or Byzantine Empire, where Constantinople came to be seen as the centre of the Christian world, owing in great part to its economic and political power.
Once the Western Empire fell to Germanic incursions in the 5th century, the (Roman) Church was, for centuries, the primary link to Roman civilization for medieval Western Europe and an important channel of influence in the West for the Eastern Roman or Byzantine emperors. In the West, the Orthodox Church competed against the Aryan Christian and pagan faiths of the Germanic rulers and spread outside what had been the empire to Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia and the Western Slavs. In the East, Christianity spread to the Slavs in modern-day Russia, South-Central and Eastern Europe. The reign of Charlemagne in Western Europe is particularly noted for bringing the last major Western Aryan tribes into communion with Rome, in part through conquest and forced conversion.
The Church survived the era of Islamic expansion by the Islamic Caliphate, and continues to play a major role in national and world development. As deducted from the history of the Church’s origin, it is clear that the Church possesses great economic and political influence, making it a key player and influence in the fight to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
(To be continued)
Sounds and bites
There are two sides to every coin. Life itself contains not only the good, but also the bad and the ugly. Let us now explore these:
“Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching.”
– Anonymous
Thought for the week
“Your body is the church where Nature asks to be reverenced.
(Marquis de Sade)