How the Virus Stole
Easter
By Kristi Bothur
With a nod to Dr.
Seuss
Twas late in ‘19 when
the virus began
Bringing chaos and
fear to all people, each land.
People were sick,
hospitals full,
Doctors overwhelmed,
no one in school.
As winter gave way to the
promise of spring,
The virus raged on,
touching peasant and king.
People hid in their
homes from the enemy unseen.
They YouTubed and
Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.
April approached and
churches were closed.
“There won’t be an
Easter,” the world supposed.
“There won’t be church
services, and egg hunts are out.
No reason for new
dresses when we can’t go about.”
Holy Week started, as
bleak as the rest.
The world was focused
on masks and on tests.
“Easter can’t happen
this year,” it proclaimed.
“Online and at home,
it just won’t be the same.”
Maundy Thursday, Good
Friday, the days came and went.
The virus pressed on;
it just would not relent.
The world woke Sunday
and nothing had changed.
The virus still
menaced, the people, estranged.
“Pooh pooh to the
saints,” the world was grumbling.
“They’re finding out
now that no Easter is coming.
“They’re just waking
up! We know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang
open a minute or two,
And then all the
saints will all cry boo-hoo.
“That noise,” said the
world, “will be something to hear.”
So it paused and the
world put a hand to its ear.
And it did hear a
sound coming through all the skies.
It started down low,
then it started to rise.
But the sound wasn’t
depressed.
Why, this sound was
triumphant!
It couldn’t be so!
But it grew with
abundance!
The world stared
around, popping its eyes.
Then it shook! What it
saw was a shocking surprise!
Every saint in every
nation, the tall and the small,
Was celebrating Jesus
in spite of it all!
It hadn’t stopped
Easter from coming! It came!
Somehow or other, it
came just the same!
And the world with its
life quite stuck in quarantine
Stood puzzling and
puzzling.
“Just how can it be?”
“It came without
bonnets, it came without bunnies,
It came without egg
hunts, cantatas, or money.”
Then the world thought
of something it hadn’t before.
“Maybe Easter,” it
thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Easter, perhaps,
means a little bit more.”
And what happened
then?
Well....the story’s
not done.
What will YOU do?
Will you share with
that one
Or two or more people
needing hope in this night?
Will you share the
source of your life in this fight?
The churches are empty
- but so is the tomb,
And Jesus is victor
over death, doom, and gloom.
So this year at Easter,
let this be our prayer,
As the virus still
rages all around, everywhere.
May the world see hope
when it looks at God’s people.
May the world see the
church is not a building or steeple.
May the world find
Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection,
May the world find Joy
in a time of dejection.
May 2020 be known as
the year of survival,
But not only that -
Let it start a
revival.
To that last line, an Amen. And Yes! to all the "may the world find/see." Thanks, Janice
ReplyDeleteThank you Dora. You are always an inspiration to me.
ReplyDeleteJanice