There was a mild drama on Friday when ‘Jesus’ acted by one Mr. Dominic Akubuilo of Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac Town, Lagos dramatically fell down during a procession organized by the church to mark Good Friday and reenact the Stations of the Cross.
Carrying a heavy cross made of woods, Akubuilo whose back was whipped severally by supposed soldiers dramatically fell down at the ninth station and this took sightseers by surprised especially when some of the organisers began to splash water on his face to resuscitate him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmj9fRu-M1A
It was until the ‘Lagos Jesus’ stood up and continued carrying the cross that it became obvious that ‘the collapse’ was only an apt acting of Jesus’ fall by Akubuilo who has been doing this for the church for about four years consecutively.
The occasion which is observed yearly in Catholic churches commemorates Christ’s last day on earth as a man.
The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ’s last day on Earth as a man. The 14 devotions focus on specific events of His last day, beginning with His condemnation to his death among other series which eventually ends with his body being laid in the tomb.
At each station, the individual recalls and meditates on a specific event from Christ’s last day. Specific prayers are recited, and then the individual moves to the next station until all 14 are complete.
The reenactment procession commenced at the Holy Family reenactment exactly at 1:00pm at the church which is located on 22 Road, 2nd Avenue Festac Town, proceeded to Agboju area and then ended at an event center situated on 32 Road, Festac where he was crucified.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0tzh4hPlq4
According to Okonkwo Valentine, President of the Young Christian Workers Movement (YCWM), Holy Family Catholic Church, said the procession is a way of evangelising, dramatising the rejection Jesus went through and letting people see the pain.
“The event took place over 2000 years ago and according to the church calendar, the same person, [Jesus] that was celebrated last week Saturday, when everybody was shouting ‘hail-the-king’ is today wanted dead on Good Friday by scribes and Pharisees”
Speaking on the preparation for the passion drama, Okonkwo said it was energy sapping and pocket draining while thanking God for the grace of the good support given to YCWM by its members.
“Majority of the funding for the project came from within the movement and they only did it based on their own volition without anybody having to compel them. And we are not just talking about money but also time and talents.”
Okonkwo advises Christians at large to learn from Jesus in the course of the passion drama how to be selfless in life, “Jesus died for us even while we are still sinning, if our activities are based on selfish motives things will not go well.” He added