Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in Toronto
Recently the slender one lost a dear friend and was fortunate enough to be one of the select number allowed indoors into the chapel to say farewell, until we meet again. The collection of personal information was understandable, considering the fears of many, the need for contact tracing. Yet all were masked, and the chapel, where the staff had placed chairs more than two metres apart could easily have accommodated many more than the 10. At a guess 40 would have been able to honour the departed. And curiously, the chapel asked the widow for the names of those who would be attending, this days before the funeral. Estonians are not invited to funerals – they come to show their respect.
Ironically, the local LCBO has a prominent sign in its window – maximum number of customers – 40. Masks are also worn, as is the case everywhere. So why are purchasers of alcohol given this advantage? But not those attending a funeral. To add insult to injury, places of worship are closed for services, except for virtual ones.
Which is ridiculous. Faith is a very important part of the human make-up, at least for some, if certainly not for all. Religion is personal, and one needs regular reminders whether through a sermon during a service, the readings from the Bible, and in the Lutheran tradition singing religious songs, together. While we may judge the covidiots and politicians harshly it is the final judgment that individuals need to be concerned about, hold important.
Yet we cannot follow our spiritual needs, and no reason is given why a church service, a funeral, is more dangerous than picking up a bottle of wine. Or for that matter jostling in grocery store aisles with oblivious churls who have lowered their mask below their nostrils, or even to their chin for otherwise they cannot breathe. Or their glasses fog up. So they claim.
Yorkminster Baptist Church, on Yonge Street north of St. Clair Avenue is huge. It has hosted large Estonian united choral concerts and during those the church was never completely occupied. The pews seat 1,200 worshippers; the transept and galleries can accommodate another 500. Surely, with a separation of more than two metres, enforced by the wardens and beadles (if Baptists have them) at least 300 people, at a rough guess, could partake in one of the two Sunday services. Which, alas, are not being offered.
Yorkminster was also a wonderful retreat at this time of year, pre-pandemic. Wednesday noontime, from fall to spring the church hosted free organ concerts by Southern Ontario’s best organists. The organ itself, it must be said is wonderful as well, filling the airwaves with lush and beautiful sounds. It was the perfect place to gather spiritual and musical energy, much needed at any time, perhaps even more so at present. But the program has been shelved thanks to politicians. As a regular attendee of those concerts the music-lover could venture that there were never more than 50 people using their lunch-break, or making an express visit for the half-hour concert in attendance. Surely exceptions could be made. Yorkminster is not like Grossman’s tavern, where everyone was cheek-to-jowl during Saturday night blues concerts. Or Scruffy Murphy’s, the North Toronto gem forced to close for ever, due to these restrictions. A small, intimate place, where it was hard to find seating Saturday nights, when local musicians jammed on a tiny stage. Shame.
If there was logic behind these lockdown decisions one might be able to accept them. But there is not. The predicted third wave promises to be long, if judging by the Spanish flu pandemic of more than a century ago is any indication, as an example. Certainly one can survive without classic Organspiele (such as works by Bach, Buxtehude and Handel), open-stage jams and the blues. But to irrationally limit funeral attendance, close houses of worship makes absolutely no sense. For many Sunday services are indeed essential. But in our increasingly antagonistic and atheistic, if not laic society, this fact is sadly not being acknowledged.
OTEPÄÄ SLIM
