So, on this Good Friday, how are you going to remember the death of Jesus?

In the Philippines, there is an extreme ritual that has to be seen to be believed. For those with weak stomachs, I suggest you do not watch the following clip-

There are more photos of these bizarre rituals here.

Inflicting pain on yourself as a spiritual discipline seems to have a long Christian tradition. Often called mortification of the flesh, it has remained a strong Catholic practice. Taking this to the extreme, the Flagellants of the 13th Century became a popular movement- peaking around the time of the Black Death.

What motivates people to do damage to themselves in the name of God? Fervency? Desperation? Group psychosis? I suppose this is one of those things that can only really be commented on from the inside. I notice that the story of an Australian comedian’s participation in one such ceremony this year has made a splash- here.

What of us? Michaela is making hot cross buns. Not mortification, but fortification of the flesh you could say!

You might also like to try Jon Birch’s 12 Stations

Jon is one of the creative forces behind Proost. You can see more of his fantastic stuff on asbojesus