Good Friday

Good Friday is a MAJOR holiday here. All the stores are closed, except for a few Chinese shops. No store is allowed to sell alcohol...all day. The streets are almost empty. People seem to stay inside and rest until 4:30. At that time they come out, dressed in funeral clothes and walk the procession with the Catholic Church. There were over 2000 (maybe even 3000) people walking the 2.5 miles of city roads.

In the front of the precession is a priest and some altar boys. Behind them are the adult actors who are portraying Jesus, Roman guards, Mary and the disciples.

The rest is two columns of families... the lines of people went on for several blocks. I wish the picture could show all of the people. They initially walked as if they were in a funeral procession... talking minimally and looking very somber. Some of the women were saying the prayers that were being read by the leaders. If I managed to walk with these women it was a deeply spiritual procession. In other places there were families with young children and people who were talking.

The procession stops at 15 different platforms set up in peoples front yards. Teenage actors stand frozen in the scene that was just acted out in the street by the adult actors. At the same time 4 or 5 women read something into a microphone. I couldn't hear what they said... later someone told me it was prayers they were reading. I'm kind of glad I could not hear the readings. This area is very "Mary" adoring and it would have disrupted my sense of the moment. Silence was nice, even preferable. I could pray and just listen to the quiet.

Tomorrow at our Deaf Church we will see the end of the Jesus movie and sing Easter songs. I'm looking forward to leaving Good Friday behind and moving on to triumph and victory. Praise the Lord that he overcame the evil and oppression with passion and patience. That he was true to his word and rose on the third day. Praise God that he was obedient even in the face of the cross.

I wish you all Easter joy.

Nancy