This Sunday, April, 12, 2020, is Easter, during what is known as Passion Week.
Passion Week in 2020 is especially noteworthy. Due to the influence of COVID-19, many churches can't resume onsite gatherings, and believers can only spend this week in their homes. During this week, how do we prepare our hearts to meditate on the redeeming love of Jesus Christ?
Here are three suggestions: First, read the Bible. This will enable us to have a knowledge of the events that happened during Passion Week, remember the history of that time and imprint what Jesus went through on our minds. The events that happened during the Passion Week are very important, and the identity and mission of Jesus Christ has been fully revealed during this week. These include Jesus entering the holy city of Jerusalem, cursing a fig tree, cleansing the temple, exhorting his disciples, rebuking the Pharisees, eating the Passover with his disciples, being arrested, being placed on trial, crucified, buried and resurrected. It is best to read all four Gospels to understand the suffering that Jesus experienced.
Second, listen to Bible teachings, meditate, and pray so we may understand the meaning of the crucifixion. Although onsite gatherings have been suspended, many churches offer online pastoral support and hold online activities such as worship, meditation, and prayer. The Lord, during his suffering, resisted the temptation of worldly power, endured the loneliness of not being understood, the sorrow of being betrayed by the disciples, and the pain on the cross of being rejected by the Father, God. The Lord, in Matthew 11, mentioned his frustration at not being understood: "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to others: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn'." We Christians should be those who understand the feelings of the Lord. During this period, we should try to meditate on the pain the Lord experienced, grieve with the Lord, weep with the Lord, and understand his deep love for us.
Third, serve people, practice the commandments of love, and demonstrate your understanding of the cross of the Lord through your actions. The Lord humbled himself at the last supper by washing his disciples' feet, setting an example of service for us and telling us to follow suit. The cross is love and love is action. When we serve others, we can fully understand how difficult it is for the Lord to bear the cross. During Passion Week, we can follow the Lord by serving our family, caring for our fellow pastors and brothers and sisters whom we have not seen during this time. During this special period, we can also pray for those suffering under the epidemic, pray for all the people fighting the epidemic, and pray for the epidemic to end as soon as possible.
- Translated by Sophia Chen
