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Easter: God’s own story
Easter is here again. And once more, we will go through the motions as usual. In Ghana and most parts of the Christian world, Palm Sunday opens the Easter season by reminding us of the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem days before His crucifixion.
Triumphal in the sense that even though the Jewish religious leaders were planning to kill Jesus, He boldly rode into Jerusalem where He knew they were waiting for Him. At His appearance, the multitude who wanted to enthrone Him king, cut off palm fronds which they strewed before His donkey while others waved theirs.
Ghana, however, has a unique way of marking the day. Instead of the date palm fronds, Ghanaians have adopted the oil palm leaves which may be excusable because date palm is not as abundant in the country as oil palm. And trust the ingenuity of the Ghanaian! Palm Sunday has become the occasion when people who, for one reason or another, have not eaten palm nut soup for a long time, make sure this chance does not pass them by. Of course, it must be complemented by fufu, otherwise the trouble you take in preparing the soup would not be worth the while. All this is part of Easter.
After Palm Sunday, all attention shifts to the following Friday, that is Good Friday, a day set aside the world over to commemorate the crucifixion and subsequent death of Jesus Christ. Most Ghanaians, especially, those of the orthodox faith, wear funeral clothes to go and mourn the “death” of Jesus in church.
Then Sunday comes, and people troop to their various churches in all-white attires or something with a touch of white to celebrate the resurrection power of Jesus. The songs commemorating the momentous event vary. The Methodists surely have a lot to sing but one that they would never miss on Easter Sunday is Robert Lowry’s hymn that goes like this:
1 Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Saviour,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Refrain:
Up from the grave He arose;
with a mighty triumph o’er his foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!
2 Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Saviour,
vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord! [Refrain]
3 Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Saviour;
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord! [Refrain]
The Pentecostals would prefer something like this:
Owuo anntumi no, w’adi asaman so;
Nkunim di hene, cne Awurade;
Y3ma wo mmo Yesu, y3ma wo mmo Messiah;
Nkunimdi hene cne Awurade.
In translation, the song declares as follows:
Death could not beat Him, He has triumphed over hell;
The King of Victory is the Lord;
We congratulate You, Jesus, we congratulate You Messaiah;
The King of victory is the Lord
For most people, including so-called Christians, the “real deal” is yet to come. After church, the boozing and revelries must be allowed. After all, the Bible says: “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God, what is God’s.” For many, that is all Easter means. But what is the real meaning of Easter? What really happened at Easter?
The following story provides a clue. A very rich man called Mr. Emmanuel Love was celibate and childless. He had a sweet spirit and showered gifts on all the kids in his neighbourhood. But he took a special liking to a particular boy, Manson, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Man.
One day, Manson’s parents travelled and left him in the care of Mr. Love. As naughty as children are, he sneaked out of the house for a splash in a nearby stream. Unknown to him, the flow was fast and upstream, compelling him to swim against the current. He was drowning gradually.
Just in the nick of time, Mr. Love discovered that Manson was nowhere to be found. By intuition, he dashed towards the stream and found him struggling to make it ashore. Without thinking, Mr. Love dived into the water and did his best to bring the boy downstream as both of them gasped for breath. But the rescue came at a great cost. Mr. Love was left crippled. After a few days, Manson’s parents returned from their journey and went for him. They heard what had happened and felt extremely sorry for Mr. Love but there was no need crying over spilt milk.
About a year later, the family relocated to another city, perhaps unable to process the thought of seeing Mr. Love like that. But they kept in touch with him while Mr. Love frequently sent letters to Manson encouraging him to study hard and be the best that he could be. About a decade later, with Manson in his late teens, Mr. Love realised he was deteriorating in health. So, he decided to go and visit his little friend before the inevitable happened.
On reaching the city, he began to trudge across a community park to Manson’s house close by. As he hobbled along due to his condition, some youngsters enjoying a game of football on the field started hurling insults at him for delaying their game. Finally, he reached home and immediately asked for his boy.
Mr. Love was told Manson was playing football nearby, apparently on the park Mr. Love just crossed. His parents sent for him and when he came home, he recognised the visitor as the handicapped man who just struggled along the field. He questioned his parents why they should entertain such a wretch in their home. When they explained who he was and reminded him how the man ended up maimed for life, Manson could not hold back his tears.
He dashed to call his friends on the field to come and see his hero. When they came, they were also snubbish but in tears, Manson explained how the man’s condition evolved. Mr. Love asked if they got the money he had been sending in his letters. To their shame, they never opened them, and when they did, they were amazed at the amount he had sent their boy over the years without their knowledge. The best was yet to come. Mr. Love told them he had come to inform them that he had bequeathed his estate to Adamson and left.
Do you get the picture?“He was wounded for our transgressions.” Our sins took Jesus to the cross. Yet, we despise Him. The Bible prophesied before He appeared in human form that when people set their eyes on Him, there would be no comeliness in Him that they should desire Him. Just as Manson forgot all that Mr. Love suffered for him, so do we treat Jesus with contempt. We only pay lip service to Him.
Perhaps, we treat Him with disdain because we do not really know Him. Let me show you an open secret. Jesus is God the very God! Period. Yes, Easter is God’s own story. The Creator of the universe stripped Himself of all His glory, took upon Himself the form of a servant, and allowed sinful men to kill Him so that He would shed His own blood to cleanse us from our unrighteousness.
The blood of bulls and sheep was not pure enough, neither was the blood of any man deemed righteous enough to atone for our sins. So, God became a Man to have blood in Himself to shed for us. That is the true Easter story.
Yes, the Ancient of Days became the Babe of Bethlehem, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, became the Lamb that was slain; He is the Consuming Fire yet, the Living Water; when Mary held the Infant Jesus and kissed her Son, she kissed the face of God. He is the Mighty God, Wonderful Counsellor, the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father, the King of kings, Lord of lords, the Great I Am. He can be anything He wants to be.
C.S. Lewis, a British author and speaker who was an unrepentant atheist until he found Jesus Christ, said this about Him in one of his discourses.“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.
“He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this Man was, and is, the Son of God, or a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
Contact: teepeejubilee@yahoo.co.uk
By Tony Prempeh
I experienced something on Monday, June 15, that really frustrated me. I had to go to the ministries but I could not get up early that day so I decided to pick a taxi and get to the Tuba Junction.
When I got there I realised that Traffic had built up from the Toll Booth towards Accra. After a while I got a Taxi and it was when we got to a certain spot on the road, that I realised why there was a traffic jam.
There is a short stretch of the road where each time it rains heavily, loose material run down the hill onto the road, blocking one side of the road. Vehicles from Kasoa to Accra are then forced to move into one of the lanes of those going towards Kasoa from Accra.
The two lane road from Accra to Kasoa becomes a single carriage way. That was the reason for the traffic jam from the toll booth onwards.
This has been a perineal problem and yet, no permanent solution has been found till date. The area falls under Ga South and even though, a new MCE has taken over, the technocrats are still there and so the problem is not new to them.
There is therefore no excuse for the inability of the Ga South Metropolitan Assembly to resolving the problem on that stretch of the road. Apart from the Ga South Metropolitan Assembly, another institution that must be held accountable is the Ghana Highways Authority.
The Highways Authority cannot say they are unaware of this issue. The fact that the problem falls within the area of responsibility of the Ga South Assembly, does not relieve the Ghana Highways Authority, of their responsibility of ensuring that our highways are maintained in a motorable state at all times.
A collaboration between the Ghana Highways Authority and The Ga South Municipal Assembly is required for a permanent resolution of the problem.
There was another traffic jam at a place called Atala about 250 metres to the traffic light at Old Barrier as a result of an issue similar to the one close to the toll booth, that I talked about earlier.
When we got to Weija junction, we encountered another traffic jam. The cause of this jam was a bad condition of road about 80 metres from the traffic light at Ga South Hospital heading towards Accra.
Due to the bad nature at that section of the road, vehicles are compelled to slow down resulting in a traffic jam stretching all the way to Weija Junction.
I started wondering if that short stretch of road cannot be sorted on one Sunday when traffic is usually light. When we got to the traffic light at Odorkor, there was another issue.
When the traffic light shows green, there is a slow down because there is a big pothole or should I say manhole in the outer lane, right at the traffic light. Vehicles in the outer lane are compelled to swerve into the second lane thereby causing a traffic to slow down and resulting in a traffic jam.
It is very important to take into account the effect of traffic jam on the national economy. If we are able to assess the value of the loss to the economy of the nation, I believe the issue of traffic jam will be prioritised.
Imagine persons working at various Government Organisations like Registrar General’s Department, Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, CEPS etc. and lives at Kasoa and whose job is to collect revenue for the state and is held up in traffic.
Just imagine the effect their lateness to work will have on the economy if you consider the delays in say clearing of goods at the port and as a result traders cannot sell their goods for government to generate the required taxes.
Let us deal with the traffic jams on our streets to promote economic growth. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Mortality is an inherent aspect of life, a universal experience that has sparked philosophical, theological, and scientific inquiry throughout human history.
This article aims to provide a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of mortality, acknowledging the complexity of the topic and the diverse perspectives surrounding it.
The biological imperative
From a biological standpoint, death is a natural part of the life cycle. It serves as a mechanism for the evolution of species, allowing for the passing on of genetic material and the adaptation to environmental changes.
Evolutionary perspective: Death allows for the recycling of resources, promoting the survival and adaptation of species.
Life span and senescence: Cellular aging and the limitations of biological systems contribute to mortality.
Philosophical and existential perspectives
Existentialism: Emphasises individual freedom and responsibility in the face of mortality.
Meaning and purpose: The finite nature of life can prompt individuals to seek meaning and purpose.
The human condition: Mortality is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, shaping our perceptions and values.
Cultural and spiritual views
Afterlife and spirituality: Many cultures and religions believe in an afterlife or spiritual continuation.
Rituals and mourning: Cultural practices surrounding death reflect the significance of mortality in human experience.
Legacy and remembrance: The impact of one’s life can transcend mortality.
Ethical considerations
End-of-life care: Ethical debates surround issues like euthanasia, assisted dying, and palliative care.
Quality of life: Balancing the value of life with the quality of life is a complex ethical issue.
Resource allocation: Societal decisions about healthcare and resource distribution involve considerations of mortality.
Psychological impact
Grief and loss: The experience of mortality can evoke profound emotional responses.
Fear and anxiety: The awareness of mortality can lead to existential anxiety.
Appreciation and gratitude: Recognising mortality can foster appreciation for life.
Conclusion
Mortality is a multifaceted aspect of human existence, influencing how we live, relate, and find meaning. Understanding and acknowledging mortality can prompt deeper reflections on life and our place in the world.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
