Before Easter: Christians in city observe Good Friday

Three-hour service held at All Saints Church

PESHAWAR: Prayers and hymns resonated from all churches in the city as Christians observed Good Friday. The day commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.

“This is a day of mourning as our beloved Jesus was crucified by the Romans who accused him of being a traitor,” Daniel Samuel, a parish member at All Saints Church in Kohati told The Express Tribune.

“We fast for 40 days in memory of Jesus who did not eat anything for the same number of days. After the 40 days of fasting, this day of mourning as well as happiness comes.”

A three-hour-long service was held at All Saints Church in Kohati. A large number of people gathered at the church during the prayers.

Reminiscing

After the bomb blast at the church in September 2013, in which over a hundred people were killed, Christians go to All Saints to not only celebrate religious occasions, but to also pray for their deceased relatives.

“My daughter Samreen died in the terrorist attack on the church,” Samina told The Express Tribune. “But we are not scared because our faith in Jesus compels us to come back to this church to pray.”

Amber, who also attended the service, said after 40 days of fasting Jesus had a meal –the Last Supper – and was executed.

“But he was resurrected on Easter Sunday,” she said. “We read Bible the entire week and pray for the prosperity of our country.”



Good Friday is observed before Easter Sunday. Christians start their week with Palm Sunday and end it with Easter, the day on which it is believed Jesus was resurrected.

After 40 days of his resurrection on Easter Sunday, he was taken up to the heavens.  During the 40 days he was on earth, Jesus taught his disciples and instructed them about the difference between right and wrong.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th,  2016.