Dolly Parton showed that there can still be unbridled joy on Easter Sunday during the coronavirus pandemic, strumming a stirring, solo performance of “He’s Alive” for her Instagram page.
Parton, 74, who has been a prominent voice amid this public health emergency, started the video discussing social distancing on the holiday in which Christians observe the resurrection of Jesus.
“We don’t have to go a building or church to worship God. The kingdom of God is within,” said Parton. “This year, we’re gonna kinda stay around the house a little bit, right? But that doesn’t mean we can’t worship in the same way that we should.”
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Parton put the situation in perspective, alluding to the Christian belief that Jesus Christ was crucified on Good Friday and then rose three days later.
“Somebody said the other day, ‘Oh, we’ve had a rough week,’ ” Parton said. “Just think about the rough week that Jesus had, and look how well that turned out for us.”
The country legend then performed “He’s Alive,” a song told from the perspective of disciple Peter proclaiming the resurrection. Wearing a pink dress in a studio filled with lillies, with a cross in the background, Parton admitted there was no room for anything more than her guitar and her voice in the solo performance.
“I usually do it with a choir. Obviously we don’t have elbow room for a choir this year,” she said.
Justin Bieber celebrated on his Instagram page showing an Easter meal with wife Hailey and an idyllic nature scene where he talked about Jesus’ “ultimate sacrifice.”
“He would die on the cross to take the punishment for the wrongs that you and I have committed! Then he rose from the dead to defeat death! Meaning now when we accept and believe what he did on the cross and we die we actually graduate into eternity where there is no pain, heartache or shame at all! We will live in eternity in complete bliss!” wrote Bieber.
Bieber than posted a collage of adorable photos with his wife, calling her, “my best friend.”
A pink-haired Miley Cyrus posted an Instagram picture standing in a giant Easter basket surrounded by life-sized colorful plastic eggs.
“Hoppy Easter bunnnnniesss 🐰,” Cyrus wrote.
Celine Dion posted a photo in rabbit ears on Instagram. “As we all spend this #EasterSunday at home, now more than ever, I want to wish you and your loved ones the very best of health… let’s take care of each other,” Dion wrote.
Katy Perry kept the bunny theme going, posting a photo in an Easter rabbit costume that showed off her pregnancy belly bump (with husband Orlando Bloom).
