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Obviously, there were no public prayers on Friday but the Muslim community has its digital and online resources to compensate for the inability to meet physically.

This pandemic-enforced isolation must be the first time ever there has not been a public funeral anywhere in Ghana. No wars or coups have stopped it; public distaste at the high cost of funerals has done nothing to dent the popularity of funerals.

Indeed, after churches and chiefs succeeded in eliminating wakes from the funeral rites to keep costs down, the One Week observance was lifted from a simple and private event into a major public ceremony. It has taken COVID-19 to stop all events, including funerals. So far, there is no report of any online funeral – yet.

As for church services, this is the third week chapels and religious buildings have stood empty but that does not mean that Christians who wish to join in fellowship have been left bereft of that opportunity.

There have been hundreds, if not thousands of church services online, on radio and on television. Indeed, even before COVID-19, most broadcast stations in Ghana were taken over by churches and religious organisations on Sundays, but religious broadcasts now come with a special sense of urgency and mission because of the fact that it is the only way.

This is ironic because the introduction of television in Ghana, as in many countries, was preceded by a fierce campaign by some church leaders against the medium. They argued that it would corrupt the youth.

One could see their point. One of the biggest youth “crimes” in Ghana used to be playing truant to watch films at 12.15 in the afternoon. The Opera Cinema house in central Accra was popular for showing the mid-day films. The way the church leaders saw it, television was like bringing the whole 12.15 culture into every living room. Today, of course, the despised medium has become the favourite evangelising tool for most churches. The rock the workmen rejected has become the cornerstone!

The lesson we have learnt from this episode of mass online church services is that the Church (capital C) is not a building; it is indeed, the body of Christ’s followers. Not everyone sees things this way. Some people believe that God resides in buildings.

I remember an incident that happened many years ago when I was a student. I travelled with a group of American soldiers on motorbikes to Lome. We were caught in a heavy rainstorm and had to stop at a small village in the Volta Region.

We joined a group of children and their teachers sheltering in classrooms which had no defence against the rain. Nearby, the best building in the village, a church stood safe but closed. We learnt that the Catechist was one of the teachers.

We asked him why he did not open the chapel to provide better shelter for the children. He answered that the chapel was the house of God! Maybe times have changed his mindset; truly, we don’t need churches or cathedrals to worship God.

Like millions of believers, I followed my church’s service online and on TV. Yesterday was Palm Sunday, we would have had a procession at Dzorwulu with our palm fronds. But alas! The good thing is that all these services are recorded so one can go back and listen again and again.

I also made time on Sunday to listen to my favourite radio programme, Highlife is Alive on Unique 95.7 FM. This programme, which is hosted by Papa Wasty (Richmond Amponsah) is an education as much as entertainment.

He goes to great lengths to find and share information about past and current highlife performers. This Sunday is the first programme after Nana Ampadu celebrated his birthday last week. The programme was a blast.

Folks, it has been a different kind of weekend but not a bad one. Lockdown is for our benefit so, let’s enjoy it the best way we can.
Still, happy Lockdown!

Cheers.

Enjoy a happy lockdown weekend.
Nana K. Gyan-Apenteng