‘There is still a long way to go... but we will come through this’

Amongst my earliest memories of Easter is reciting a poem at Feis Dhoire Cholmcille called ‘The Donkey’, by Elizabeth Shane.

I was competitor number one hundred and something and, although I trembled with young nerves, I came home “highly commended” for my efforts.

This Easter, the streets of Derry City centre will be strangely quiet - there won’t be “music there in the Derry air”.

Even the Feis, which persevered during the worst of the Troubles, has been cancelled. Derry will miss the dancing, the singing, choirs and action songs this year. Easter will be different.

The Coronavirus crisis has driven us indoors, forced us apart, and changed the way we pray, study and do business.

It has postponed our celebrations, heightened our fears and threatened our livelihoods.

It has even cruelly interrupted our caring instincts to hold close those who are dying and to comfort the bereaved with a handshake or a hug.

But it has also brought out the best in people, including our amazing health workers and carers, and many others on the frontline providing our essential services.

People say they are finding more time for family, and more space for stillness, reflection and prayer.

The Easter story begins in darkness and sorrow.

The disciples were hidden away behind locked doors, fearing for their lives. But, when Christ rose from the dead, he brought back the light of hope into the darkness of despair.

The stone was rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. He entered through the closed doors of the place where the disciples were and he said to them, “peace be with you.”

The Easter story reminds us that, as Pope Francis keeps saying, we must never let ourselves be “robbed of hope”.

From Good Friday to Easter Day - from the Cross to the empty tomb, from death to life, Easter invites us to open our hearts and minds to the inner peace that only Christ can bring.

As the children’s hymn joyfully puts it:

“They buried my body

And they thought I’d gone,

But I am the Dance,

And I still go on.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,

I am the Lord of the Dance, said he”.

Please, God, it won’t be too long before we can go back to singing and dancing together, to meeting and greeting, travelling and discovering, and gathering in church to celebrate and praise God.

But what will we have learned?

What is this crisis teaching us about ourselves and others, about faith and hope, about the importance of caring and loving, of living simpler lives, managing our expectations?

In a strange way, these days of seclusion have been helping us stop and think about what we value and, perhaps, even question some of the ways we have been living our lives.

An old medieval carol about the life of Jesus promises that “Tomorrow shall be my dancing day”.

We still have a long way to go in the fight against Covid-19 and its consequences. There will be many more sacrifices to make before this is all over.

But, as surely as Christ rose on Easter morning, we will come through this, hopefully ,as better people, strengthened by the experience.

Happy Easter everyone.

E Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Dromore and Primate of All Ireland.