Tema, April 2, GNA - Christians in the Tema Metropolis on Good Friday filled church auditoriums and some school parks to mark the celebration of the Death of Jesus Christ.

Members of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Redemption Congregation at Tema Community "9", who were mostly dressed in mourning clothes, sang hymns and prayed for the nation during the Service. Reverend Alice Kyei-Anti, Minister-In-Charge of the Redemption Presbyterian Church called on Ghanaians to make the nation peaceful, as Jesus Christ's death was to bring peace and salvation to mankind. She said Ghanaians especially politicians and traditional leaders must learn to forgive one another as a means of ensuring peace in the country. She preached under the theme: "The significance of the passion and death of Jesus Christ".

Rev. Kyei-Anti noted that the death of Jesus Christ would be meaningless if people always wanted to retaliate no matter the amount of counseling and admonishments.

She explained that retaliation always brought about a cycle of bitterness as generations to come would always want to retaliate for the pains their forefathers went through.

She said it was about time Ghanaians recognized that they were one people, who loved and forgave one another. Rev. Kyei-Anti entreated people to "draw back their sword as Jesus ordered Peter to do," adding that people have pulled many swords due to bitterness and anger.

The Redemption Presbyterian Minister stated that the swords included people's utterances during radio phone-in programmes, casting of insinuations on leaders and politicians, as well as the young and the elderly castigating each other.

She, therefore, advised people to criticize constructively and assess the effect of their utterances in public since that could hurt someone and also lead to strife.

She advised students to use the period to renew their minds and commitments to God in order not to fall prey to peer pressure. Rev. Kyei-Anti said students must not follow the mob in school demonstrations and engage in lawlessness since that did not reflect the teachings of Jesus.