The Wipe-out of Religious Rituals

I am overwhelmed by what God is changing through this pandemic. I would like to touch specifically on the impact of Covid-19 to various established religious and cultural rituals. My knowledge of these rituals are not exhaustive, I just want to touch on what I know.

Is it just me? Or do anyone else realise what God is doing? Look at how this pandemic interrupted our usual religious and cultural rituals! I shall begin with the latest interruptions. 

The Government just announced that there is a limitation for Chinese New Year visitation. I can't even begin how mind-blowing this is. It is in our blood, in our non-questionable ritual for the WHOLE family to gather for Reunion dinner. You CANNOT don't attend. But now.. We can't even go! I am the third generation in the family. So my mother-in-law and her siblings (only, without their children and grandchildren) has to attend the reunion dinner in her mother's house. In normal days, it is absolutely unacceptable that I and my children don't show up in my grandmother's door step for reunion dinner. But we all have to break this tradition (temporary) this year. Another thing, the government announced that we are not allowed to shout suspicious sayings during lo hei. "I'm sorry what??!!" This is like saying you want us to have no good luck for the new year! In Chinese tradition, good luck is all we need. And now you are saying that we can't invoke this good luck mantra???

Don't you see what God is trying to do? He wants to break this all! 

Secondly, during my theology class this week, the Dr Reverend said something that struck me. He said that different churches have their own rituals that they do during church service. And these rituals are sacred, totally sacred. It is something that have to be done. Have to! Then, the pandemic comes and everybody are at a lost (at least that would be what I imagine). Now they can't perform these rituals! What does it mean then? These rituals are something that can be done without? And God is ok with it? Are you saying God doesn't need this rituals to be done? Are you saying God is ok with zoom church service? God is ok with no ministers administering communions to the congregations? Are you saying it is ok to not receive communion weekly? The church are thinking hard of ways how to carry on the rituals with minimal disruptions.

Don't you see what God is doing? He wants to break the religious rituals! Read the book of Romans and you will see how Paul is zealously educating the people that God doesn't see the rituals and deeds, but He looks at the heart.

Will the church go back to their old ways of performing the rituals after the pandemic is over? 

I sincerely hope that all the churches learn what is the most important in Christianity. Not the rituals, but the love between the church leaders and their sheeps, the love within the congregations and the love between God's people and the community.

We should start focusing on building people up, instead of building structural rituals. But I do learn that this structured rituals is one of the element of Christian Spirituality. But it shouldn't be at the top of the list. 

People and myself prayed for revival in Singapore. But today I realised that for revival to come, people has to be willing to accept the rainfall of God's Spirits. People has to be detached from superstitious beliefs. I belief that one small purpose of this pandemic is to break all kinds of false belief. 

I pray that God will be merciful towards us and bring that revival to Singapore and all the world.

Amen