Coronavirus: The Grinch that stole Christmas

The image of Christmas is the scene from the nativity of Jesus in a makeshift bed of straw in Jerusalem. This scene has been replicated for as long as the life of the Church or Christendom. 

Curiously, the birth place of Jesus, Jerusalem, his early years in Nazareth and ministry in the rest of Judea and Samaria are also the birthplaces or symbolic homes of two other world religions, Islam and Judaism. Infact both Islam and Judaism lay claim to Jerusalem’s holiest sites. 

While the early eras were marked by remarkable advances in mathematics, science and the rise of the city states in Athens, Rome, Constantinolpe, China, Japan. The rate at which the world was transformed from 1000 AD to 2000 AD was largely on the back of the rise of world religions, Christianity, Islam and also in a more localised way Buddhism and Confucianism. 

The roots of Christianity sometimes described as Judea-Christianity are the same, one is the continuation of the other; and Islam in many respects, is a continuation of Christianity. 

Today modern religion has transformed into a social vehicle less of messianic tales and more of a ground to keep society together. In some continents like Africa and Asia, religion has advanced rapidly while in the north in certain respects, religion has receded as a major social force. 

For example, Church attendance or affiliation with religion has fallen in Europe, the UK even while formerly atheist societies like Russia have seen a revival in the Orthodox rites. 

It appears that in our century, religion is going to confront again science. In history, the advance of science muted the effect of famine and killer diseases, but also brought waves of human suffering through creations like the nuclear bomb, chemical and biological warfare. 

Extreme religion also had an equally violent opposite reaction in the form of armed putsches, insurgencies and eventually global terrorism that has preoccupied the world at least for the first two decades of this century. 

Countries all over the world from the Middle East, the Indian sSub-continent, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Central Africa, among others, have seen recurrent episodes of these acts and major and minor episodes such as the 9-11 and global terrorist attacks all over the world.

In coronavirus, there is now a brand new lethal weapon. Its creation again at human hands has opened an exposure not seen. Whereas earlier epidemics, pandemics and scourges like smallpox, influenza, sleeping sickness or ravages such as famine in some cases caused near wipeouts of human life, they were relatively short. 

Other epidemics such as HIV or even Ebola even though extremely deadly, were relatively contained due to continuous attention and investments. Corona has been the genie that will potentially make all these look like child play. 

Its vastly multiplied avenues of infection across all age groups, its ability to mutate for lack of a fixed genetic footprint are a major fear that will overwhelm countries in years to come. It is one of the modern-day pandemics to spread independent of armed conflict. 

Yet even the most concerted response, a vaccine promises only limited relief. Will the entire global population vaccinate at the same time? 

At this special time of the year, this may call for a new response, a moral response. Why has corona played so hard on vulnerabilities that are mostly man-made, GMO foods, chronic (lifestyle) diseases and ravaged centres for modern life like hospitals, urban centres or even nursing homes? 

The joy of Christmas, an annual ritual, has come with fear and loss of an innocence that comes with this day. 

In some countries, more than others, coronavirus has become the Grinch that stole Christmas.

Mr Ssemogerere is an Attorney-At-Law and an Advocate.

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