Another Easter is here and may be the Christians to whom this festival means so much, should let this one be special and celebrate it big, like how de Muslims celebrate Ramadan. Dem Muslims very serious ‘bout dey religion eh. Ramadan, usually referred to as de month of Qur’an is actually de month when de Qur’an was revealed to Mohammad. Ramadan foh Muslims is like Lent foh de Christians. But whereas de Muslims are in one accord with Ramadan, Christians are divided on de Lenten period, is nothing name Lent in de Bible, dey say. Some have serious contradictions with de correct time period between Christ’s death and resurrection on the third day.{{more}} De Scriptures is so clear on dat, He was crucified and buried on the eve of de Sabbath (Fry-dey) and rose on de first day of de week (Sun-dey), While He may not have spent three days in de tomb, He rose on de third day. Thank God we seem united on Easter, de time of Christ’s Resurrection that also coincides with de Jewish “Feast of de Passover”, de time when de first-born child and animal of de enslaved Jews in Egypt whose house post was marked with de blood, were spared (ah Passover) from dat fatal plague.

But all ah dis doctrinal confusion is not ah problem wid de Muslims, dey have no illusions about dey Religion; dey Prayer time, dey Fasting time, de entire month ah Ramadan is obligatory foh every able Muslim to Fast, and de rewards are numerous. Nobody dare mess with de name of Muhammad and get away. We leave anybody who ridicule our Jesus to de Lord.

The Christianity of today is flexible and compromising, de Church is silent on almost everything, and de standards seem to be dropping ever so often, ah newcomer will never believe dat Christianity is over 2000 years ole. Tek Lent foh example. When I was ah youth, Carnival preceded Lent. On Carnival Tuesday, at de stroke ah mid-night all Jump-up, Fete and Dance done till Easter Sat-dey. During dat forty day Lenten period, Christians went into repentance, was Church every day and night, people fasted, Fri-dey was set aside foh Fasting. And like Muslims, during Lent the Christians also gave up bad habits foh special practices; people abstained from alcohol, meats, cigarettes, Lie-Za say she father uses to let go de outside women. Back den no Kaiso was played on de Radio in Lent, was only one Radio Station in any case; dis year NBC tried introducing “no Kaiso “ on one of its programs, and station Manager Corletha Olliverre came in foh ah hard piece ah critic-is-him. Today, Lent or no Lent, every Sunday evening is Block-O at de Car Parks while de Churches are M.T, some Churches don’t even bother to have Night Service anymore. And we still seeking answers foh our escalating crime rate.

We need to go back to “de Ole Time Religion”. We need to defy people like James Cameron de Director of de Documentary “ the Tomb of Jesus” in which he claims dat de bones of Jesus were found in ah tomb in Jerusalem in 1980. Dis is ah very serious indictment on de foundation of all Christian believers, it is contrary to our beliefs. Our belief is based on ah resurrected Christ, our faith is pinned on de fact dat Jesus’ Tomb was M.T. when de two Marys visited de tomb to embalm His body on dat first Easter Sun-dey morning; there was no corpse, no bones, no nothing in de tomb, just linens. He was yet alive! risen! seen in many places after!

And dat’s why we have to go out to Church on Sunday in our thousands like de Muslims do when dey go to Pilgrimage at Mecca in Saudi Arabia foh de Feast of Ramadan, like de thousands of Catholic Christians do at St Peter’s Square in Rome on Easter Sun-day morning; like de multitude dat went last When-is-day to open de Rabbacca Bridge. Only dat dis time go and sing “Loud Hosannas to de King”.

AH GRENADINES TARGET

It is very thoughtful of de officials at de Port to provide ah facility on de Grenadines Wharf equipped with Air-conditioned shelter and washroom, TV, and Restaurant foh commuters to and from de Grenadines. It was so long overdue, dat owners of passenger boats have gone ahead years now, and have installed all of these services on their boats, passengers no longer have to sit on open decks in de parching sun as dey wait to travel. Dey have been going straight on board where dey can either sit in de Air-conditioned lounges and watch TV or stay on de covered decks and sip ah drink, have breakfast, lunch or ah snack. So de Port Ting is too lickle too late!

And there is de matter of de dollar fee to use de facility. Ah dollar is nothing to talk about; but how come de passengers using de Bus Terminal at Lickle T-K-O don’t pay ah dollar foh de use ah dat facility? Are we going to impose ah toll on de people above de Dry River foh using de new Bridge? Of course Not! So why TARGET de people of de Grenadines? Dem ain’t Vincy too? When Jack-ass feel de weight ah de load pon he back, he say “dis world ain’t level at all, too much ah hills and bumps”. And wid dat ah teking my Bump and is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.