Easter message of hope and unity is relevant today than ever before

This year’s Easter holiday will never be forgotten by Kenyans. With our churches usually packed with worshippers to celebrate from Friday to Sunday, this year services were held differently due to coronavirus. After the government banned social gatherings, many chose to follow the services on social media.

These challenging times should not reduce the importance of this holy time of year in our lives. As the president conveyed in his annual Easter address, “The present circumstance should not blind us to the spirit and intention of Easter and the message inherent in the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. This timeless message is as relevant today as it was two millennia ago.

The central message that the resurrection of Jesus Christ spreads during this time is one of hope and unity. When these trying times put our faith to the test, we must employ the hope for a better future that our faith puts in us, as well as the unity that our saviour showed during his own time of need. This hope should be encouraged by the fact that we have strong leadership in place.

Many of these measures needed to ensure our well-being are tough, such as hefty fines now being levied against violators of rules that are meant to keep us all safe, including social distancing regulations and wearing of face masks in public. Regulations to curb the spread of the virus will ensure that Kenyans celebrate future Easters with their loved ones.

Our unity as a people should take its cues from the government. Despite past grievances, leaders across the political spectrum have come together to fight our new common enemy, coronavirus.

Messages about the need to obey all rules and regulations imposed by the government came from all Kenyan leaders including President Uhuru Kenyatta, hid deputy William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Such unity should not be taken for granted. Many politicians around the world are instead using this crisis to settle political scores. In the United States, opposition to President Trump made the passing of a coronavirus relief plan almost impossible. Had politicians been able to put their differences aside and displayed the unity that we saw in our own nation, perhaps the US would not currently be one of the global centres of this deadly pandemic. A similar issue was seen in the UK, where the Labour Party leader was accused of taking advantage of the pandemic for political gain.

The unity displayed in the politics of our country did not emerge from nowhere. It began with the famed 2018 handshake, which commenced the Building Bridges Initiative.

It was further strengthened by the process of national consultation that followed. In this process, citizens of Kenya were asked to partake in the future shaping of our country, regardless of their political affiliations. Unity is easy to attain when things are normal. The true test of unity though is how it perseveres in times of crisis, such as the one currently being faced.

This Easter, restrictions put in place by the coronavirus changed the way we celebrated the holiday.

The message of this holiday however, is more alive today than ever. The light of a candle can best be seen in a dark room. Similarly, the importance of the unity fostered by our leadership can best be understood when we are alone.

The coronavirus crisis will eventually pass. Yet the message imparted to us by this crisis should not. Hope in the future of our nation alongside steadfast unity will continue to remain essential.