Published by ‘Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge’ (ISPCK), Delhi.
Edited by: Francis Gonsalves and Vinod Victor
By Vinod Victor
New Delhi, June 26, 2020: A good book captures the heartbeat of the context in which it is written and treasures for posterity vivid images of the tears and existential angst of the time.
‘Corona of Thorns? or Corona of Life? Changing Church in the Covid Context’ (ISPCK, 2020) provides a bird’s eye view of how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of life around and how theologians, academicians and practitioners see rays of hope amidst worldwide gloom.
A panorama of authors from different fields of expertise engage in an ecumenical reflection and dialogue—realistically sensing the pain that the pandemic has inflicted on us all, reflecting on how it transformed the very nature of Church and human interconnectedness, and how this could be seen as a fleeting moment of opportunity. Corona (Latin, for crown) could both be of thorns and of life, if understood in the right perspective.
While being critical about the churches’ present silence in times of crisis, Felix Wilfred states that there cannot and need not be a return to the ‘normal’. “The Indian Church will need to rethink its life and worship, mission and leadership in new terms,” he argues. Other writers have creatively tried to verbally paint how the new normal would and should look like. Amidst thorns and darkness, this could be an opportunity to “deconstruct the Church and build Christ communities,” says Asir Ebenezer.
There are also specific attempts to reflect upon how the pandemic has affected the vulnerable: migrant workers, slum dwellers, unskilled laborers, women and youth. “There are innumerable people trying to reach the threshold of the Church. These outstretched hands seek security and resistance against vulnerability,” Hemalatha John affirms, calling our attention to the millions of lives being torn apart and our responsibility towards them.
Right from the joy of sharing food with the people pushed into the meandering journeys home—offering light, life and hope to them—as Rini Ralte shares, to the call for a “wedding of faith and science” to creatively respond to the pandemic and to find a panacea as Samuel Richmond Saxena puts it, the book encompasses a myriad of experiences and viewpoints.
Packiam Samuel offers hope suggesting, “To doubt may be to deny, but it is also to await and to await with the ultimate criterion of what must be awaited.” He goes on to add that “phoenix-like, faith must remake a covenantal relationship with God, only thereby not to be posthumously defeated by Covid.”
Francis Gonsalves reminds Christians, families and Church of their societal responsibility, saying: “Jesus warns us that someday we’ll hear the words: ‘Whatever you did—or did not do—to the least of my sisters and brothers, you did—or did not do—to me’.” (Mt 25:40,45).
The book proposes ecumenical, ecological, interfaith, interdisciplinary and global responses to stem the raging tide of the pandemic.
Published within hundred days of the lockdown amidst slow easing of restrictions, these reflections are primary responses to a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. They could just be a trigger for deeper analyses of how different our World and the Church are, and would be.
The prognosis looks bleak. The pandemic shows no signs of retreat. Can you and me, Church and World, find life amidst and beyond the thorns? Several valuable insights are the greatest takeaways this book offers.