Coronavirus: Abu Dhabi priest offers Easter message of hope

While places of worship may be empty, Rev Any Thompson says the faith of communities need not be shaken

Rev Andy Thompson said he has been uplifted by the community-spirited response of his parishioners at St Andrew's Church to the coronavirus pandemic. Satish Kumar/The National    

An Abu Dhabi church leader has sent out a message of hope as people all over the globe face up to an unfamiliar Easter Sunday spent in solitude.

The Easter weekend is typically a time for joyous celebrations, as people pack churches and gather with families to share in the occasion.

As safety measures implemented by governments lead residents to stay at home in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, this year's Easter is unrecognisable from those that have come before.

In the UAE, all places of worship have closed their doors until further notice in support of the country's physical distancing strategy.

Rev Canon Andy Thompson, the chaplain at St Andrew's Anglican Church, told of his own experience of standing alone in a building that so often turns individuals of all backgrounds and nationalities into a congregation united by their faith.

"Throughout this week I have been praying in an empty church building. Where normally hundreds pass through the gates, now silence," said Rev Thompson.

But while it has been a unique experience for the clergyman, he said the solid foundations of the church and its power to do good is not to be merely found in bricks and mortar.

"The good news is that church is not a building but a people of faith. And right now, instead of being collected in one place, the church is out there," he said.

Rev Thompson has been heartened by the response of his own parishioners and the many "small acts of kindness" he has witnessed as people have been drawn more closely together in solidarity at a moment when they must be physically apart.

"I have been hugely encouraged by the goodwill out there. We have been collecting lulu gift vouchers and have received hundreds. And each day we are able to give them out to folks who have no income," he said.

"I see multiple acts of small kindness. I know a Filipina who, despite having huge needs of her own, has this week delivered food packages to 30 needy families in her own community."