The Passing of a Good Friday

Good Friday is a restful day for those who are retired . It is also considered fairly easy for those without adult children and boisterious grandchildren around. If they have friends around they would not suffer from the proverbial empty nest syndrome especially during a public holiday.

It is a blessing that Sarawak continues to observe Good Friday as a public holiday where more than 60% of the population will gather in various places of worship to remember the bitter crucifixion of Christ.

Apart from going to church perhaps a small gathering of four or five friends would be a nice way to await the Easter celebration. These days such gatherings might be interrupted by mobile phone calls from loved ones and even Skype or chatting on line!! Cyberspace and virtual relationship have become part of life making our later years easier to go by.

After Ching Ming the bittersweet Good Friday which follows just one week later can also be a memorable special day.

Three roti canai and two pieces of naan (similar to the bread eaten by the Jews in Judea during Jesus' time) with dhall curry appeared first on the table served by the cheerful Indonesian made. With our fingers we dug into the roti and the dhall curry very much like the First Century Christians did.

And then an exciting green vegetable dish was served. We did not eat rice by choice.




This vegetable is home grown by a neighbour who makes a good sale every morning. Sometimes in the evening she still has enough to sell to a few more families. Very organic and these curly greens are stir fried quickly with water chestnut. Very crispy and nutty in taste.



Fried Bananas - crispy and perfectly fresh and tenderly sweet.

Another dish was served - bitter gourd fried with ikan bilis and dried chillies to add to the bitterness of the occasion.

finally a dish of toufoo cooked with imported vegetables like celery and sweet peas and small tiny mushrooms came up to sweeten our tastebuds.

All these was washed down by bitter sweet kopi-o.

The bitterness of the kopi 0 reminded me of the bitterness and pain that Jesus must have suffered in the hands of the Romans and the Jews.

An unforgettable and perhaps unique Good Friday vegetarian meal with friends. No merry making with wine. No meat.

Thus we remembered the unique Good Friday more than 2000 years ago when He said"Lord forgive them for they know not what they are doing." Such divine grace. Such compassion. Such love for all of us sinners.