Zimbabwean Pastor Dies After Fasting Following Jesus

Not Drinking Water for 25 Days Leads to Missed Treatment Timing

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunha Kim] A pastor in Zimbabwe, Africa, died at the age of 39 after attempting to follow "Jesus' 40-day fast," the British BBC reported on the 16th (local time).

According to the BBC, Francisco Baraha, founder of an evangelical church in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, challenged the 40-day fast of Jesus described in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew and died.

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Pastor Baraha did not consume food or water for 25 days. His weight dropped sharply, and his health deteriorated to the point where he could not stand.

Friends who sensed Pastor Baraha's health was in danger took him to the hospital. He was diagnosed with acute anemia and digestive organ damage and received treatment. Although he was given fluids through serum and nutrients in liquid form, his health, worsened by the 25-day fast, did not recover easily, and he died on the 15th.

The bereaved family stated, "Pastor Baraha had low blood pressure."

In Christianity, fasting prayer is encouraged, modeled after Jesus fasting and praying for 40 days in the wilderness.

This is not the first attempt to imitate Jesus' fast. In 2015, a man in Zimbabwe died after fasting for 30 days. In 2006, a woman in London, UK, lost her life while imitating Jesus. Guinness stopped recording fasting-related records since 2003, reasoning that if someone sets a fasting record and dies, it cannot be considered a success.