Tomorrow Christians celebrate Good Friday. This is the day according to Biblical sources when Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was crucified and ended his earthly life on a cross at Calvary. Christian teaching is that he did so inorder to save the world from sin. Jesus in the first place came to the world to die for the sins of mankind. The day also marks the beginning of the end of Lent, a season marked by fasting, penitence and prayer in observance and commemoration of Jesus’s Sacrifice on the cross.

In Churches around the country, congregations will observe prayers, including ‘Stations of the Cross’ which is a step by step reconstruction of the biblical episode of Christ’s passion and death, from his judgment before Pontius Pilate to his Holy Sepulchre where he was entombed. The day is spent in prayer and reflection. Christians in The Gambia are known to break the fast on this day with “naan- buru”(Wollof word for a preparation of steamed rice balls and sweetened baobab juice) which according to Gambian tradition and custom is shared with Muslim brothers and sisters.

From biblical sources, Christ rose on the third day after Good Friday to later ascend into Heaven as he said he would.

This mystery of the Resurrection will be celebrated on Easter Sunday with much joy and thanksgiving.

Christ had indeed risen, much to the astonishment of his critics and skeptics including the Roman soldiers that guarded his tomb.

This in short is the story of Easter.

Resurrexit Sicut Dixit! Deo Gratias, Alleluia! He is risen. Thanks be to God, All Praise.

We wish all Christians a Happy Easter in advance.