I cannont think of anything to compare the COVID-19 pandemic but to what is known as the Black Death also known in history as the Black Plague. The Pesstilence was the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, resulting in the deaths of about 125 million people around the globe. 

Like the Black Plague, the Coronavirus probably started in Asia, Central or East. But that is not the case for now, we should not be blaming the people of Asia, especially the Chinese for this current pandemic. We should not call it 'The Chinese Virus', as one Statesman called it. Rather we should be more united because it affects us all. 'Us All', meaning worldwide. It is also time to put aside our indifferences, our hatred for other races or tribes, it is time to see the common in ourselves. What we can all, together and united can archive. This pandemic was first confirmed in late 2019, but it got worse early 2020 to affect negatively the worship of Christians of commemorating The Lord's Supper, The Passion of the Lord, and the brilliant sun of Easter, His Resurrection. Not leaving out the Jewish celebration of the Passover, as it is the great feast to them too.

What can we learn from this? That the world belongs to one God, and we are all His children, whether we believe or not, whether we like it or not. This might also be a challenge in every individual who claims to be a believer. This is a time of prayer for most people, but can we pray now without others? Or we depend on the mass gatherings to pray with others? In the presence of a priests or rabbi? Now it is the time to show that we believe in God, and we are not and we were not pretending. This is the time to revive the world in what I would call, The Renaissance of the Earth. This is the time to come together and be one in all things that affect us all, in all things we have in common. Let us take this opportunity with both hands, to see a good in all what is happening out there, instead of concentrating on the bad side. God probably wants us to be more alert, that we have forgotten about Him, that we have forsaken Him, and that we have put more focus on ourselves as if we a god or something.

For now, let us all stay at home, and be safe. All the Lockdowns in different states, are not to punish people, but to save more lives as much as possible, it is not the time to worry about the economy, planned events or whatever, but to worry about lives that can be saved. Because I, and I am sure, that all would love to travel the world again, because we have tasted that before, and we all know how wonderful it is. Let us keep our children in doors, and have time with them, have time with ourselves. Let us teach them about this pandemic, and how to keep away and safe from it. We always wanted to observe some privacies. This is the time to do that. But we have proven also that we don't want privacy as we claim, because we have proven that wrong, by not obeying the states. Let us obey the government and avoid spreading the virus. This is not to say, 'All South Africans' but 'All peoples of the earth', because we would like to see each other again.

May the Easter Candle of 2020 be a light that shows us the true light, the resurrected light, Christ Jesus the Lord.

On behalf of 'The New Voice of Africa', I would like to wish all a happy and wonderful and prayerful Easter Season.

Regards,

James Qeqe

TNVA- President