It is an iconic painting, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. You have probably seen it depicted hundreds of times.

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day Christians remember the last meal Jesus had before his death, a seder meal as he celebrated Passover with his disciples. Leonardo’s painting celebrates that event, though I have always wondered how accurate his depiction is.

Most of the parties I have attended, people sit on both sides of the table. (Yes, I know wedding receptions are an exception – but that is because the folks at the head table are on display. That wouldn’t have been the case at this meal.)

In 2020 seder meals, and pretty much every other gathering, are being held virtually. Concerts are streaming online. We get together with people, as long as we stay apart.

Last week I received an updated Last Supper that imagines what Leonardo would have painted if that meal had been held today. In the past month most of us have become pretty adept at the various video-conferencing platforms. Whether you use Skype, Hangouts, VSee, Teams, Messenger or any of the others out there, you can probably identify with this anonymous (as far as I know) artist who imagines that if the Last Supper had been held today, Jesus would have used Zoom.

Leaving aside the theological implications, I thought it was a nice commentary on where we find ourselves in 2020. If social distancing is good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for the  rest of us.

Stay safe and healthy!