Abstract
The article explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on African Christians and discusses the role of pastoral care of hope and compassion towards meaningful Christian living. Special focus is placed on the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic, which is affecting the whole world, with deadly consequences. COVID-19 is a new virus and scientists and medical researchers are in a race to isolate the virus and develop a vaccine to combat the onslaught of the virus on humanity.
The research endeavours to integrate pastoral care with the concepts of koinonia and ubuntu in pursuit of responsive healing alternatives for African Christians. COVID-19 has an adverse effect on human wellbeing and productive living. As the body weakens, illness also attacks human dignity as many people lose hope and the motivation to live. Being sick affects every level of human life. It impinges on social, spiritual, emotional, economic and physical realms. The sudden onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic has put tremendous strain on the resources of many nations of the world. African countries have been forced to shift their meagre resources to prioritising a COVID-19 response.
Hence, a short description of COVID-19 and its social and economic impact on the African population will be presented. The brief description will highlight the ways in which the virus negatively affects the quantitative and qualitative existence and productivity of African people. Illness may lead to brokenness, demotivation and ultimate loss of hope and a positive outlook on life. Many African people view illness and misfortune as emanating primarily from disturbances in relationships and harmony between the living and the dead. African societies expect that everyone should strive for the wellbeing of society at large, and consequently avoid negative elements that may harm it.
Illness is a serious issue in African cosmology and therefore everything is employed to bring about equilibrium and restoration from the state of disturbance that it causes. In seeking treatment many African people seem to prefer traditional remedies. Omonzejele (2003:29) states that during illness African people first use traditional medicine. Even when Western medicine is used and the desired outcomes are not achieved, they resort to traditional medicine. These observations are also made by Lin et al. (eds) (2002:247) who state that 70% of Africans try traditional medicine before using Western medicine.
Many African people in Southern Africa are Christians and therefore simultaneously seek assistance from traditional and Christian sources or persons during illness. Many African Christians have no qualms about consulting both traditional healers and church leaders for intervention during illness and misfortune. This becomes an opportunity to introduce Christian pastoral care to people seeking healing. In fact, there is a crucial need to minister a pastoral care of hope and compassion to people in despair and experiencing a sense of loss.
The article discusses the need to address the debilitating effects of COVID-19 with a pastoral care of hope and compassion that is grounded in principles of koinonia and ubuntu. Koinonia is based on fellowship, worship, deeds of charity, moral and spiritual support that are hallmarks of true communities of faith. Similarly, ubuntu underscores the very values of koinonia as African people hold to this philosophy of togetherness and community solidarity. Pastoral care that is based on koinonia and ubuntu principles should be the preferred intervention option during COVID-19 conditions. These principles speak directly against any notion of individualism and delegating of responsibility to someone else, but place an obligation on everyone involved in the pain and suffering of others. In the African context a sick person should not suffer in isolation; the suffering of one is a clarion call to others for compassion and solidarity. The suffering person is invited to experience the presence and grace of God through the demonstration of compassion and love by others. The corporate responsibility is to act out love and compassion to the needy person.
However, the main strategies to manage COVID-19 seem to be a challenge to employing pastoral care from ubuntu and koinonia perspectives. Offering pastoral care in the normal way is challenged by the situation created by COVID-19, thus new approaches that take cognisance of hygiene and social distancing regulations should be explored.
The concept of hope is highlighted from psychological and spiritual perspectives and Christian hope is clearly defined. Hope is described as not being the absence of pain but as something present in the midst of sickness and pain. This kind of hope is motivated by eschatological convictions of God’s ultimate victory over sin, illness and death. This could be the means of motivating every COVID-19-affected Christian to look beyond their pain in anticipation of the inauguration of God’s kingdom, where there will be no sickness and death.
The research also highlights the role of emotions in the COVID-19 situation, and offers suggestions on how to support sick people to build systems that foster healthy perspectives and to harness positive energy to battle COVID-19.
Research also confirms the need for people to be offered space to express their pain, doubts, fears and hopes during illness, without prejudice of being judged. The article offers integrated healing alternatives that are based on Christian, cultural and psychological foundations, to enable African people in their quest for healing.
The abnormal measures required for management of COVID-19 are in many ways opposed to the spirit of the African concept of ubuntu and the Christian fellowship of koinonia. However, innovative ways should be employed to render pastoral care according to ubuntu and koinonia principles, as these concepts are relevant and applicable to the African worldview and practices. This would enable an integrated respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The article is structured in the following way: First, it gives a description of COVID-19 and its impact on Africa Christians; secondly, it explores the African concept of ubuntu and the Christian concept of koinonia for effective pastoral care; thirdly, the article discusses the goal and function of pastoral care in ensuring components of hope and compassion; and fourthly, it introduces a pastoral care of hope and compassion as an alternative response to COVID-19 for African Christians.
Keywords: asymptomatic; chora; compassion; COVID-19; hope; interpathy; koinonia; positive psychology; poverty; ubuntu