St. Elesbaan (አፄ ካሌብ) : The Black Saint Who Embodied Christianity for the African Masses

When I learned that Saudi Arabia stopped issuing visas for Muslim Pilgrims from Guinea and Liberia, two countries hit by an outbreak of the deadly Ebola epidemic, I thought, “there are many countries around the world which had recently been visited by terrible viruses, yet, the Saudis only deny visas to black / ‘abd’ African countries. The irony is, it’s Saudi Arabia which is on the verge of a colossal “MERS-pandemic” – so, it’s Africans who were supposed to stop issuing visas for Saudi citizens, and prevent their own citizens from traveling to Saudi Arabia.

Holy men like Emperor Kaleb must be sad out there in heaven, that, in the 21^st century, Africans are still subjected to all sorts of injustices in the hands of Ishmaelite Arabs and their ‘cousins’. How could we forget the cruel injustice of slavery and its progeny that are the result of a long-standing and deep-seated hatred of blacks?

 

During the Middle Ages an Egyptian Sultan attempted to extort an incredibly large sum of money from the Ethiopian emperors. If the Emperor did not pay, the Sultan would destroy the Coptic churches in Egypt. The Ethiopian Emperor (ሐርቤ ፩ኛ / ይምርሐነ ክርስቶስ) said that if one stone was touched on the churches, then the entire nation would cross the sea, and then fight its way to Mecca, and grind the Kabba into dust.

 

Continue reading “The Cross and the river – Ethiopia, Egypt and the Nile”

 

St. Elesbaan (አፄ ካሌብ)

 

Image of the Week: An 18th-century painting details the story of St. Elesbaan, one of the “pillars of Ethiopia.”

 

This image is part of a weekly series that The Root is presenting in conjunction with the Image of the Black in Western Art Archive at Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Research Institute, part of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research.

 

This remarkable black saint, whose story of victory and piety begins in ancient Abyssinia, now known as Ethiopia, found his ultimate fulfillment much later as a spiritual guide to his fellow black Africans. In this painting, the saint wears the habit of the Carmelite religious order and holds a miniature church. The inscription at the bottom of the painting attests to his Abyssinian origins and declares his special role as a protector against “the dangers of the sea.”

 

This painting is an outstanding example of Portuguese devotional art of the 18th century. In style and format, it precisely corresponds to a painting of the black virgin saint Ephigenia. Of unknown origin, these two works were conceived as a pair within a single devotional context. According to early church legend, Ephigenia was the daughter of the king of Nubia. Her father had been converted to the Christian faith in the first century by the evangelist Matthew. The devout Ephigenia founded a convent and, like Elesbaan, overcame great resistance to the faith, thereby ushering in a period of prosperity under Christian rule.

 

The story of St. Elesbaan goes back to the early period of Christianity’s long presence in Ethiopia. Christian missionaries had converted the kingdom of Axum to the faith about 200 years before his reign. According to standard accounts, the man who would become St. Elesbaan ruled Axum during the first half of the sixth century. His given name was Kaleb, and he took the throne name Ella Atsbeha, “the one who brought about the morning.” Kaleb was canonized in the 16th century as St. Elesbaan, a version of his kingly name.

 

Upon hearing that Dunaan, the Himyarite ruler of the southern Arabian peninsula, was persecuting Christians, Kaleb sent his army across the turbulent waters of the Red Sea. After a protracted campaign, Dunaan was killed and replaced by a Christian monarch. After this militant advocacy for the church, Kaleb gave up his royal title and retired to a monastery, devoting himself to solitary contemplation.

 

The life and deeds of the saint are summed up in the iconography of his figure. The crown lying on the ground beside him signifies his renunciation of earthly glory, the lion on the flag represents his personification as the Lion of Judah, and the spear signifies his triumph over the infidel king trampled under his feet.

 

The Brazilian-born priest José Pereira de Santana devoted a definitive, two-volume work to Elesbaan and Ephigenia, published respectively in 1735 and 1738 at Lisbon. He considered them the two pillars of African sanctity and refashioned them as saints of his own Carmelite order. Interestingly, the saints were first venerated by an all-white, upper-class congregation founded by Santana at the Carmelite monastery in Lisbon. Espousing the principle of blood purity, its members regarded Elesbaan and Ephigenia as high-born African rulers whose supposedly “white” souls, purified by faith, were cloaked in bodies only “accidentally” blackened by the tropical sun.

 

At this early point in his revival, Elesbaan represented the triumph of Christianity over Judaism in the person of Dunaan, while Ephigenia stood for the early, voluntary acceptance of the Gospel in Africa. As such, she served as the model for the similarly intended reception of Christianity by slaves taken by force from the continent. The rehabilitation of the two black holy figures as Roman Catholic saints enabled the establishment of these time-honored “pillars of Ethiopia” as native-born guides for the spiritual enlightenment of so-called pagan blacks.

 

The real story of the veneration of Elesbaan, however, occurs with the arrival of black Africans, mostly as slaves, first in Spain and Portugal in the 15th century, then in their New World colonies. To aid in the process of spiritual assimilation among the captives, religious confraternities of blacks, both free and enslaved, came to be established. Each was dedicated to one or more of a pantheon of exemplary black saints, including more contemporary figures such as Benedict the Moor and Antônio de Categeró. Elesbaan and Ephigenia joined them as powerful advocates of the ever greater number of slaves arriving from Africa during the 18th century.

 

But the devotion to these saints that soon took hold in Brazil and other regions of the New World was to become an indispensable force for the formation of black identity and empowerment far beyond the scope imagined by Santana. Shortly after the publication of his account of the saints, a confraternity dedicated to saints Elesbaan and Ephigenia had been founded by a community of blacks in Rio de Janeiro. The close proximity in time between these events suggests the guiding role of Santana’s local fellow Carmelites.

 

Continue reading…

 

__

__

Shocking Audio: Don’t Bring Black People to My Games

The mystical mind of man is populated with demons: superhuman malevolent monsters put on his earth to frighten and harm human beings all over again

__

 

 

__

 

ከአፄ ዋሻ ማርያም ገዳም የተሰረቀው ታቦት ከጅቡቲ በተዓምራት ተመለሰ

የእስራኤልን አምላክ ታቦት ስደዱአት፤ እኛንና ሕዝባችንን እንዳትገድል በስፍራዋ ትቀመጥ፡፡[1ኛ ሳሙ. 5፤ 12]

በሰሜን ሸዋ ሀገረ ስብከት በደብረ ብርሃን ከተማ ልዩ ስሙ ጎሸ ባዶ ከሚባለው አካባቢ ከጥንታዊቷ አፄ ዋሻ ማርያም ገዳም የተሰረቀው የመድኀኔዓለም ታቦት ከጅቡቲ በተዓምራት ተመለሰ፡፡

ከአፄ ዋሻ ማርያም ገዳም የተሰረቀው የመድኀኔዓለም ታቦት ጅቡቲ ውስጥ ለ17 ዓመታት በአንድ ግለሰብ ቤት ተደብቆ ከቆየበት ተዓምራቱን በመግለጡ በተደናገጠው ቤተሰብ ጠቋሚነት፤ ጅቡቲ ለሚገኘው ለምሥራቀ ጸሐይ ቅዱስ ገብርኤል ቤተ ክርስቲያን በማስረከብ ሚያዚያ 17 ቀን 2006 ዓ.ም. ወደ ኢትዮጵያ ተመልሷል፡፡

“በ1938 ዓ.ም. የተቀረጸውና በአፄ ዋሻ ማርያም ገዳም የነበረው የመድኀኔዓለም ታቦት ሐምሌ 28 ቀን 1989 ዓ.ም. የቤተ ክርስቲያኑን በርና መስኮት ተሰብሮ መሰረቁን ለወረዳው ቤተ ክህነትና ለፖሊስ በወቅቱ አሳውቀን ነበር፡፡ ለማፈላለግ ያደረግነው ጥረት ሁሉ መና ሆኖብን ቆይቷል፡፡ እግዚአብሔር በወደደ ጊዜ ወደ ቤቱ ይመለስ ዘንድ ፈቀደ፡፡” ይላሉ የገዳሙ አስተዳዳሪ ቄስ ኃይለ ጊዮርጊስ መኮንን፡፡

ጅቡቲ እንዴት እንደተወሰደ እስካሁን በግልጽ የታወቀ ነገር እንደሌለ የሚገልጹት የጅቡቲ ምሥራቀ ጸሐይ ቅዱስ ገብርኤል ቤተ ክርስስቲያን አስተዳዳሪ ቆሞስ አባ ዮናስ መልከ ጼዲቅ “ታቦቱ በግለሰቡ ቤት ታላቅ ተዓምራትን ነው ያደረገው፡፡ በቤቱ ውስጥ ደብቆ ያስቀመጠው ግለስብ ሚስት ስታብድ ልጁ ሞቶበታል፡፡ በዚህ የተደናገጠው ሌላው የሰውየው ልጅ በቤታቸው ውስጥ ታቦት እንዳለና ወደ ቤተ ክርስቲያን እንዲወሰድ ባቀረበው ጥያቄ መሠረት ጉዳዩን በመከታተል ከጠቅላይ ቤተ ክህነት፤ ከውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስቴር፤ በጅቡቲ የኢትዮጵያ ኤምባሲና ከሌሎችም ጋር መረጃ በመለዋወጥ ወደ ኢትዮጵያ ለማምጣት ችለናል” ብለዋል፡፡

ምንጭ

__

ጅቡቲን አንርሳ

 

እኛ ኢትዮጵያን በሀገራዊ ደረጃ ደግመን ደጋግመን ከምናሳያቸው ተገቢ ያልሆኑ አደገኛ ድክመቶች መካከል የሚከተሉትን መታዘብ ይቻላል፦

፩. ለአለፈው ታሪካችን ተገቢውን ትኩረት አለምስጠታችን፣ በተለይ ከጠላቶቻችን በኩል የደረሱብንን በደሎች ቶሎ መርሳታችን – ‘ታሪክ ምን ይሠራል?’ ይባል የለ ትምህርት ቤቶች አካባቢ

፪. ለራሳችን ሳይሆን ለባዕዳውያኑ / ለባዕዱ አስቀድመን አክብሮትና አድናቆት መስጠታችን። የስነምግባራዊ እጢአችን የሚቀሰቀሰው ለወገን ሳይሆን ለባዕዳውያኑ መሆኑ

፫. አርቀን ማየት አለመቻላችን

ከታሪክ ለመማርና አርቀን ለማየት ካለመቻላችን የተነሳ በጉልበተኞቹ ጠላቶቻችችን ጫማ ሥር በተደጋጋሚ እየወደቅን እራሳችንን ስናደክምና ስንጎዳ ይታያል። ቀላል ባቡር ለመሥራት ብዙ ወጭ የወጣበት አስፋልት ይቆፈራል። የውጭ ገንዘብ ለማግኘት እየተባለ ብርቃማና ውድ የሆኑትን የእህል ዘሮች፣ አትክልትና ፍራፍሬዎችን ለጠላቶቻችን እንልካለን፤ በዚህም ወደፊት የሚፈታተኑንና የሚጎዱንን በሽተኞች እንፈውሳለን፤ እናጠነክራለን። ባንኮቻችን ፔትሮዶላሮችን ለመሰብሰብ ይበቁ ዘንድ ጤናማ ዜጎቻችን ወደ አረቡ አገራት ይላካሉ፤ ወንድሞቻችንና እህቶቻችን ግን ደካክመው፣ ተጎሳቁለውና ተኮላሽተው ወደ አገራቸው ባዶ እጆቻቸውን ይመለሳሉ፤ ለመንግሥትና ለአገር፣ ለቤተሰብና ለሕዝብ ኃሳብና ሸክም ስለሚሆኑም በብዙ እጥፍ የሚገመት ወጭ ለማውጣት እንገደዳለን። በተለይ ከመንፈሳዊ ሕይወት አንፃር ለሁሉም የሚያስከትለው ውድቀት በጣም ከባድ ስለሆነ የወገኖቻችን ወደ አረቡ ዓለም መሄድ ከጥቅሙ ይልቅ ጉዳቱ እንደሚያመዝን የምናየው ነው።

ጠላቶቻችን የሦስት መቶ ዓመታት ዕቅዶች በመያዝ ከመቃድሾ እስከ ካርቱም፣ ከኤደን እስከ ጂቡቲ ያሉትን የኢትዮጵያ ግዛቶች አንድ ባንድ ሸርሽረው ወሰዱ፣ ከዚያም ሰሜን ኢትዮጵያን ገነጠሉ፣ ቀዩንም ባሕር በመቆጣጠር መተንፈሻና መፈናፈኛ አሳጡን።

አባቶቻችን ልክ ጂቡቲን ለፈረንሳይ አሳልፈው እንደሰጡት፣ የዛሬው ትውልድም ድንግል መሬቶችን ለሳዑዲ ያኮናትራል። ይህም ጉዳይ፡ ወይ ለጊዚያዊ መፍትሔ ሲባል በጥልቅ አልታሰበበትም ወይም ሌላ ምስጢር አለ። የጂቡቲ ጉዳይ ብዙ ትምህርቶችን ሊሰጠን ይችላል። እነ ፈረንሳይ ጂቡቲን ሲኮናተሩ ከመቶ ዓመታት በኋላ ቦታው የስትራቴጂካዊ ጥቅም ይኖረዋል ብለው በማሰብ ነበር። ኢትዮጵያ ጂቡቲን ማጣቷ እንዳይበቃ ለኢትዮጵያ ብዙ ወጭ የምታስወጣ ወደባማ ከተማ፣ ለሚተናኮሉን ኃያላን መንግሥታት ድገሞ ቁልፍ የጦር ሰፈር ለመሆን በቅታለች።

እዚህ ቪዲዮ ላይ እንደምናየው የምዕራባውያኑ (NATO) ጦር ሠራዊት ባሁኑ ጊዜ ጂቡቲ ውስጥ በመስፋፋት ላይ ነው። የቢቢሲ ቃል አቀባይ “ባካባቢው የሚገኙትን ሽብር ፈጣሪዎች ለመከታተል” በሚል ሰበብ ጂቡቲ የሰፈረውና በአሜሪካ የሚመራው የምዕራባውያኑ ሰራዊት “ምስጢራዊ” የሆነ ተልዕኮ እዚያ እንዳለው አልደበቀም። ይህ ምስጢራዊ ተልዕኮ ምንድን ነው? አሜሪካዊው ኮማንደር “ዓላማችን ጥሩዎችን ለመርዳት ነው” ሲሉ “ጥሩዎቹ” እነማን ይሆኑ? በጂቡቲ ተመሥርቷል የተባለው የጦር ኅብረትስ ለምንድን ነው የነጮች ብቻ ኅብረት የሆነው? በአፍሪቃ ምድር፣ ያውም ኢትዮጵያ በር! እንዴት ኢትዮጵያውያን / አፍሪቃውያን ሊሳተፉ ብሎም ምስጢሩን ሊካፈሉ አልቻሉም?

__

 

Never Again, Never Forget: Remembering The Armenian Genocide

 

William Saroyan, an Armenian-American writer, wrote in his short story “The Armenian and the Armenian,” “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are not more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia. See if you can do it.”

 

The timeline of the 20th century bears the scars of some of the ugliest and most brutal events in human history. World War I, the “war to end all wars,” proved anything but, as brilliant minds devised brilliant means of murder and discrimination-fueled crimes against humanity were committed indiscriminately, beginning with the Armenian genocide.

 

On April 24, 1915, hundreds of Armenian intellectuals were arrested and killed in Istanbul by Ottoman officials, marking the beginning of the first genocide of the 20th century. An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottomans, if not straight away, then during mass deportations.

 

Hostility toward Armenians began to mount increasingly toward the end of the Ottoman Empire. In the late 19th century, Sultan Abdul Hamid II grew increasingly wary of Armenians’ demands for civil rights and instituted pogroms to quell their protests. In 1908, a group called Young Turks overthrew Hamid and re-instituted a constitution, instilling hope in the Armenians for reform.

 

However, the Young Turks had a vision to “Turkify” the empire. In 1914, they sided with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I. Perceiving Armenians as a threat to the empire, the Young Turks were already skeptical of them. These suspicions were confirmed after Russian forces with Armenian soldiers defeated the Young Turks during a confrontation in the Caucasus.

 

As a result, the Young Turks launched a campaign against Armenians, thereby initiating the 1915-1923 Armenian genocide. In 1914, about 2 million Armenians lived in the empire. By 1922, less than 400,000 remained.

 

After the murders of Armenian intellectuals, the Ottomans next targeted Armenian men who were rounded up and forced to join the Ottoman army. Soon after, their arms were seized and those who had not already died from brutal labor were slaughtered.

 

Without any Armenian intellectuals and leaders to plant seeds of revolt in the minds of Armenians, and without the men to try and fight back, they were left weak and helpless. Accordingly, the Ottomans then turned to their last target: women and children. Women and girls were raped, beaten and some were forced into slavery to work in harems. Armenian children were kidnapped, forced into converting to Islam, and then given to Turkish families with new, Turkish names.

 

In an article from The Independent, Robert Frisk describes the methods Turks undertook to “Islamize” Christian Armenian children, writing that, “some of the small, starving inmates stayed alive only by grinding up and eating the bones of other children who had died.”

 

The largest number of deaths resulted from the mass deportations of Armenians out of Western Armenia (Eastern Anatolia). Ottoman officials ordered Armenians out of their homes under the guise that they were being resettled in non-military zones for their safety. In reality, they were sent on death marches across the Syrian Desert to concentration camps. Once food supplies finished, the Ottomans refused to provide more. They were not permitted to stop for a rest, and those too weak to continue were shot on the spot. Ottoman officials oftentimes forced Armenians into caravans to strip, then walk naked under the blistering sun, thereby hastening their deaths.

 

About 75 percent of Armenians on these marches died, and countless unburied bodies scattered the Syrian Desert. In fact, there were so many bodies that even today, in the Syrian town Deir ez Zor, the bones of Armenians can still be found by merely scratching at the surface of the desert sands.

 

The Armenians were also gassed. Crude gas chambers were created by herding them into caves and asphyxiating them by lighting bonfires at the entrances. Other atrocities that took place include burning Armenians alive, crucifying them, drowning them and throwing them off cliffs.

 

Adolf Hitler understood the importance of wide recognition of the past when he asked, in a speech impending the invasion of Poland, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” The crimes of our past serve as warnings for our future. Well, just about a century later, we are speaking today of the genocide of Armenians. No matter how hard one tries to edit history or censor truth, the ghosts of our past will haunt us until they are resolved. The current population of the Armenian Diaspora is estimated to be around 10 million people, forming Armenian communities all around the world.

 

Saroyan concludes his poem, “Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”

 

Source

 

Prominent Kabbalist: The Russian Invasion of Crimea is a sign of Impending Redemption

 

 

On Purim (Monday March 17th), Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch, Head of the Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem, allowed a secret to slip out. He peeled back the curtain and offered a peek into a tradition handed down from his grandfather, the Vilna Gaon, a prominent 18th-century Kabbalist:

 

“Even though I am careful not to share the mysteries, I feel that this is something I am permitted to reveal..This was something Rabbi Isaac had received directly from those who heard it from the mouth of the Vilna Gaon, who said, shortly before his passing:

 

“‘When you hear that the Russians have invaded Crimea, you will know that the bells of Redemption have begun to ring. When you hear that the Russians have reached Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey, as it is called today), you can already don Sabbath clothes and await the appearance of Moshiach.’

 

“Last week the Russians invaded Crimea and the world slept… According to our tradition from the Vilna Gaon, this is a sign of impending redemption … Perhaps what the Gaon meant by ‘bells of the redemption’ is like a bell that signals the arrival of someone or something.”

 

Source

__

 

Addis Abeba Meskel Square – A Pretty Cool Video of a Huge Intersection

 

Addis Abeba Megenaga City

 

_

 

PM David Repenting Like King David?

 

At an Easter reception for Christian leaders at Downing Street, Mr Cameron said he finds his “moments of greatest peace” at Eucharist services at his children’s church.

 

He went further in an article below, in which he said Britain should be unashamedly “evangelical” about its Christian faith and give churches a greater role in society.

 

“I believe we should be more confident about our status as a Christian country,” he said.

 

He said he had experienced the “healing power” of religion in his own life and insisted that Christianity could transform the “spiritual, physical, and moral” state of Britain and even the world.

 

“Christianity could transform the “spiritual, physical, and moral” state of Britain and even the world.”

 

Mr. Cameron seems to have done something right by upsetting these ‘public’ figures (AKA – homosexual militants, champagne socialist’s, Marxists, weirdo academics, Greens) they collectively accused the PM of sectarianism and division in a letter to The Telegraph last Monday.

 

These militant atheists should be grateful and thank God that they live in a Christian country. If the authors of the letter had tried writing it in Saudi Arabia, Iran or Pakistan, they would’ve quickly learned the benefits of living in a merciful, compassionate and tolerant Christian society.

 

Cynics might call Cameron, blatant hypocrite, after he officially endorsed the introduction of the so-called gay “marriage”, and expressed his willingness to promote it globally. How dare he call himself a Christian or even speak of the moral state of Britain when he passionate in saying, “I want London to stand alongside Dubai and Kuala Lumpur as one of the great capitals of Islamic finance anywhere in the world.” ?

 

Is the PM only making leap-service like Prince Charles? The Prince of Wales made last December the following statement, “I have for some time now been deeply troubled by the growing difficulties faced by Christian communities in various parts of the Middle East,” and, a month later continued prancing about in “Laurence of Arabia” garb as a charitable advocate for the Christian-persecutor Arabs when he performed a sword dance in Saudi Arabia.

 

After noticing his, mostly, anti-Christian actions in the past couple of years it is very difficult to understand why Prime Minister David Cameron is now saying what he is saying. His pushing for the re-definition of marriage has seemed to undermine the Christian cultural heritage of the UK, his administration and the militant “intellectual” atheist gangs are using the Islamic plague to exterminate the Jedeo-Christian identity of Britain, beyond repair. When we read the official report that in the Christian land of Britain, State schools isolate non-Muslims, we learn that it’s dangerous keeping this sort of people close, because it’s like keeping a crocodile as a pet and feeding it till it’s big enough to kill and devour you

 

I believe, a truly Christian society can forgive and give him the chance to correct his mistakes through acknowledgment and repentance. I don’t dare to compare PM David Cameron with our dearest Biblical King David. But it’s possible to draw some parallels in the lives of PM David Cameron and King David. I think, Mr. Cameron made many mistakes since he came to power four years ago. I also think that the elected PM is probably waking up because something tragic happened in his private life these past five years that might have forced him to go on a soul-searching mission like the anointed King David of Israel. There is something especially tragic about the death of a child. First, the PM lost his six-year-old son back in 2009, a year later, he mourned the sudden death of his father.

 

After becoming King of Israel, things were going very well for David, perhaps too well. He seemed to have the Midas touch — everything he touched turned to gold. God had given him success in all he undertook. Like Israel of old, David appears to momentarily forget that his success was the result of God’s grace, and not a tribute to his efforts alone.

 

David becomes more and more arrogant. This is most evident in 2 Samuel 11. Israel is at war with the Ammonites, and in the Spring (the time that kings go to war), David sends his army to besiege Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonites, where the last of the Ammonite opposition has sought refuge. David does not go to battle with his soldiers, but stays at home in Jerusalem, indulging himself in the good life while his soldiers camp in an open field. David gets up from his bed about the time his soldiers (and others) usually go to bed. As he is strolling on the roof of his palace, David happens to see something that was not meant to be seen — a young woman cleansing herself, most likely a ceremonial cleansing ceremony done in keeping with the law. The woman is beautiful, and David decides that he wants her. He sends messengers to find out who she is. Their answer — that she was Bathsheba (House of Sheba), the Ethiopian, wife of Uriah the Hittite — should have ended the matter, but David had no intention of being deprived of anything he wanted. He sent for the woman and lay with her.

 

For David, it was all over after that one night of self-indulgence. He did not want another wife; he did not even appear to want an affair, just a night of pleasure. But God had other plans. Bathsheba conceived and eventually sent word to David that she was pregnant. When David’s efforts to deceive Uriah (and the people) into thinking Uriah had fathered this child, he had Uriah killed in battle with the help of Joab. After she had mourned for her husband, David brought Bathsheba into his home, taking her as his wife. Now at last, David hoped, it was over.

 

This thing which David had done displeased God, however, and God would give David no rest or peace until he had come to see his sin for what it was and repented of it. After some period of distress (Psalm 32:3-4), God sent Nathan to David with a story, a story which deeply upset David. David was furious. He insisted that the rich man who stole the poor man’s pet lamb deserved to die! Nathan then stopped David in his tracks with the words, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). As David heard Nathan’s recital of his sin, he broke, declaring to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13).

 

Nathan’s response to David’s confession was both comforting and disturbing. Although he deserved to die for his sins, David would not die because God had taken away his sin (12:13). What a relief these words must have been. But what followed would pierce David through: the son his sin had produced would die. It is David’s response to the death of this son that will be the focus of our lesson.

 

This is the first of a number of painful events David will experience as a result of his sin regarding Uriah and Bathsheba. In our text, David will suffer the loss of the child conceived through the sinful union of David and Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. Next, David’s daughter will be raped by one of his sons. In retaliation for Amnon’s sin, Absalom murders him. Later, David’s son, Absalom, will rebel against his father and temporarily take over the throne. In the process, he will sleep with some of David’s concubines, before all Israel, and on the roof of the palace from which David first looked upon Bathsheba. All of these things are directly or indirectly the consequences of David’s sin with Bathsheba.

 

The tragic death of David’s son is a consequence of David’s sin, but it is not the penalty David deserves for his sin. The penalty for adultery and murder is death, on each count. David deserves to die, on two counts: adultery and murder. But Nathan has made it very clear that David’s sin has been “taken away.” The death of this child is a painful consequence of David’s sin, but it is not punishment for his sin, per se. That punishment has been taken away, borne by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

My faith in the Church of England

 

British Premier, David Cameron expresses his pride in its openness, beauty, social action, and pastoral care

 

LAST week I held my fourth annual Easter reception in Downing Street. Not for the first time, my comments about my faith and the importance of Christianity in our country were widely reported.

 

Some people feel that in this ever more secular age we shouldn’t talk about these things. I completely disagree. I believe we should be more confident about our status as a Christian country, more ambitious about expanding the role of faith-based organisations, and, frankly, more evangelical about a faith that compels us to get out there and make a difference to people’s lives.

 

First, being more confident about our status as a Christian country does not somehow involve doing down other faiths or passing judgement on those with no faith at all. Many people tell me it is easier to be Jewish or Muslim in Britain than in a secular country precisely because the tolerance that Christianity demands of our society provides greater space for other religious faiths, too.

 

Crucially, the Christian values of responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion, humility, and love are shared by people of every faith and none – and we should be confident in standing up to defend them.

 

People who, instead, advocate some sort of secular neutrality fail to grasp the consequences of that neutrality, or the role that faith can play in helping people to have a moral code. Of course, faith is neither necessary nor sufficient for morality.

 

Many atheists and agnostics live by a moral code – and there are Christians who don’t. But for people who do have a faith, that faith can be a guide or a helpful prod in the right direction – and, whether inspired by faith or not, that direction or moral code matters.

 

SECOND, as Christians we know how powerful faith can be in the toughest of times. I have known this in my own life. From giving great counsel to being the driving force behind some of the most inspiring social-action projects in our country, our faith-based organisations play a fundamental role in our society. So, in being confident about our Christianity, we should also be ambitious in supporting faith-based organisations to do even more.

 

That is why we are not just investing £20 million in repairing our great cathedrals, but also giving £8 million to the Near Neighbours programme, which brings faith communities together in supporting local projects. I welcome the efforts of all those who help to feed, clothe, and house the poorest in our society. For generations, much of this work has been done by Christians, and I am proud to support the continuation of this great philanthropic heritage in our society today.

 

THIRD, greater confidence in our Christianity can also inspire a stronger belief that we can get out there and actually change people’s lives, and improve both the spiritual, physical, and moral state of our country, and even the world.

 

I am a member of the Church of England, and, I suspect, a rather classic one: not that regular in attendance, and a bit vague on some of the more difficult parts of the faith.

 

But that doesn’t mean the Church of England doesn’t matter to me or people like me: it really does. I like its openness, I deeply respect its national role, and I appreciate its liturgy, and the architecture and cultural heritage of its churches. My parents spent countless hours helping to support and maintain the village church that I grew up next to, and my Oxfordshire constituency has churches – including some medieval masterpieces – that take your breath away with their beauty, simplicity, and serenity. They are a vital part of Britain’s living history.

 

I have felt at first hand the healing power of the Church’s pastoral care, and my children benefit from the work of a superb team in an excellent Church of England school.

 

Some fault the Church of England for perceived woolliness when it comes to belief. I am not one for doctrinal purity, and I don’t believe it is essential for evangelism about the Church’s role in our society or its importance. It is important – and, as I have said, I would like it to do more, not less, in terms of action to improve our society and the education of our children.

 

THE fact that, at a time of great economic difficulty, the UK has met the 0.7 per-cent target of Gross National Income on aid should be a source of national pride. Other countries have dropped that target, or failed to meet it. But every few seconds a child is being vaccinated against a disease because of the decision we have made in this country to keep our promises to the poorest people in the world.

 

The same is true of our Bill to outlaw the despicable practice of modern slavery. It is happening because we are actively working to bring all the legislation together, to toughen the penalties, and drive out this scourge that is still all too present in our world.

 

Some issues such as welfare are more controversial. I sometimes feel not enough is made of our efforts to tackle poverty. Of course, we have been through some tough economic times in turning our country around over the past few years. But it is through the dignity of work, the reforms to welfare that make work pay, and our efforts to deliver the best schools and skills for young people, that our long-term economic plan can best help people to a more secure future. And that is why today there are 1.6 million new private-sector jobs, unemployment is at its lowest level in half a decade, and there are more than 500,000 fewer people on out-of-work benefits.

 

So, I hope that, even when people disagree with specific policies, they can share in the belief of trying to lift people up rather than count people out. I welcome the debate with church leaders and faith communities about some of these issues, because in the end I think we all believe in many of the same principles. Whether it is the support people want to give their families, or the determination not to write anyone off, I believe these values and ideals are really important to all of us.

 

As politicians, I hope we can draw on these values to infuse politics with a greater sense of evangelism about some of the things we are trying to change. We see our churches as vital partners. If we pull together, we can change the world and make it a better place. That to me is what a lot of the Christian message is about – and it is a confidence in our Christianity that we can all reflect on this Easter.

 

Source

 

Would Human Life be Sacred in an Atheist World?

 

What was your reaction recently when it emerged that thousands of unborn foetuses had been burnt by NHS trusts? And that some had been put into ‘waste-to-energy’ incinerators and so used to heat hospitals?

 

Revulsion, I would imagine. But why? I would hazard that it is either because you are religious or because your customs and beliefs are still downstream from faith, even if you reject it. Because if you grant that an unborn foetus is not a life and that once aborted it could have no further use, there is at least an argument that these bodies might as well be put to use. Why not use unwanted babies to keep a hospital nice and warm?

 

It isn’t such a ridiculous argument. And it is time that atheists and non-believers began to take such stories — and their follow-on questions — as seriously as believers do. As Jonathan Sacks wrote in this magazine last year, when he was Chief Rabbi, atheists tend to imply that there isn’t much work to do after discarding God. On the contrary, after discarding God, all the work of establishing morals is still before you — just as after demonstrating mankind’s need for ethics, the work of proving a particular religion is true remains before you.

 

We continuously see the uniqueness of life being whittled away at all ends. With each year that goes by in increasingly post-Christian societies abortion becomes less and less of an issue. Too few atheists make arguments as passionate as those of believers over the aborting of unborn infants if they are of the ‘wrong’ sex, have some birth defect or a harelip. Even in America, which remains a significantly more religious country than ours, initially there was limited outrage at the trial last year of Kermit Gosnell, a Philadelphia physician discovered to have been carrying out ‘post-birth abortions’ — or child murder, as we might once have called it.

 

At the other extreme of life, we watch euthanasia become ‘assisted dying’ and the argument tilting in its favour. More and more it is about granting people a ‘humane’ end, rather than focusing on what such a move does to the significance of life as a whole. The treatment of bodies after death is another example. We have never cared less about what happens to our bodies after death. And this unconcern applies retrospectively. When digging up ancient burial yards, the fact that many of the bones being flung around come from people who went to their graves in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection isn’t enough to dampen our appetite for eviction if a property development is at stake. Does an atheist lack of concern for the physical body show a great devil-may-care attitude — or demean the significance of the vessels we spend our lives in?

 

And so it goes, on and on. Most obvious at the extremities of life, the decline of the Christian concept of the self can be seen everywhere, not least the concept of human love as a quasi-divine thing.

 

The more atheists think on these things, the more we may have to accept that the concept of the sanctity of human life is a Judeo-Christian notion which might very easily not survive Judeo-Christian civilisation. Those who do not believe in God and who stare over that cliff — which as Theo Hobson points out, very few atheists actually do — may realise that only three options remain open to us.

 

The first option is to fall into the furnace. Another is to work furiously to nail down an atheist version of the sanctity of the individual. If that does not work, then there is only one other place to go. Which is back to faith, whether we like it or not.

 

Continue reading…

 

 

The Return of God: Atheism’s Crisis of Faith

 

When we talk about morals, we end up back talking about religion. That’s a good thing

 

Like any movement or religion, atheism has ambitions. Over the years it has grown and developed until it has become about far more than just not believing in God: today atheism aspires to a moral system too. It comes with an idea of how to behave that’s really very close to traditional secular humanism, and offers a sense of community and values.

 

But as pleasant and rational as this all sounds, the new atheists are now hitting the intellectual buffers. The problem that confronts them is as stark as it is simple: our morality has religious roots. Put another way: when God is rejected, the stakes are gulpingly high; the entire moral tradition of the West is put in question.

 

This was the insight of Friedrich Nietzsche — and for all the different atheist thinkers and philosophers since, it remains just as true today. It’s all very well to say that blind faith is a bad idea, and that we should move beyond it to a more enlightened ethical system, but this raises the question of what we mean by good and bad, and those ideas are irrevocably rooted in Christianity. Nietzsche saw this, and had the courage to seek a new ethos amid the collapse of all modern systems of meaning. Did he find one? Yes, in pagan power-worship — the sort that eventually led to fascism. We think of him as mad and bad — but he was brave. Imagine Ed Miliband trying to follow in this tradition, gazing into the abyss of all meaning, the dark crucible of nihilism.

 

The trouble is that too many atheists simply assume the truth of secular humanism, that it is the axiomatic ideology: just there, our natural condition, once religious error is removed. They think morality just comes naturally. It bubbles up, it’s instinctive, not taught as part of a cultural tradition. In The God Delusion Richard Dawkins tries to strengthen this claim using his biological expertise, arguing that humans have evolved to be altruistic because it ultimately helps their genes to survive. But in the end, he admits that no firm case can be made concerning the evolutionary basis of morality. He’s just gesturing with his expertise, rather than really applying it to the issue at hand.

 

The new atheism has reached the limits of what it can achieve because it is attempting to renew secular humanism in anti-religious terms. This cannot be done. It’s a paltry and dishonest attempt, because it avoids reflecting on the tradition of secular humanism. Such reflection is awkward for it, due to its muddled claim that morality is just natural, and so no special tradition is needed. And yet — felix culpa! The atheists have unwittingly raised the question, which we generally prefer to evade, of what secular humanism is, how it is related to God. By tackling this big issue ineptly, they have at least hauled it onto the table.

 

Continue reading…

 

 

China on Course to Become ‘World’s Most Christian Nation’ Within 15 Years

When I see Chinese and Ethiopian laborers respectfully work side by side in the streets of Addis Abeba, my immediate thought was, „no European dared in the past to clean our streets alongside „dirty Africans“ but, the Chinese seem civilized enough to swallow that empty, primitive pride the vast majority of European folks demonstrate – I don’t ask their motives but, I was positive that these folks could one day be somehow blessed or rewarded” This is what’s gonna happen: the ‘proud’, wicked and ungrateful Europeans, who seem to have decided to get rid of Christianity that keeps Europe from being a hell on earth, are now unconsciously throwing down the ladder by which they themselves have climbed. There are some signs now that The Holy Spirit is departing from the West to the East, in the direction of China, and there is no reward more expensive and precious than the Christian faith.

 

„I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you“ [Genesis 12:3]

 

The number of Christians in Communist China is growing so steadily that it by 2030 it could have more churchgoers than America

 

It is said to be China’s biggest church and on Easter Sunday thousands of worshipers will flock to this Asian mega-temple to pledge their allegiance – not to the Communist Party, but to the Cross.

 

The 5,000-capacity Liushi church, which boasts more than twice as many seats as Westminster Abbey and a 206ft crucifix that can be seen for miles around, opened last year with one theologian declaring it a “miracle that such a small town was able to build such a grand church”.

 

The £8 million building is also one of the most visible symbols of Communist China’s breakneck conversion as it evolves into one of the largest Christian congregations on earth.

 

“It is a wonderful thing to be a follower of Jesus Christ. It gives us great confidence,” beamed Jin Hongxin, a 40-year-old visitor who was admiring the golden cross above Liushi’s altar in the lead up to Holy Week.

 

“If everyone in China believed in Jesus then we would have no more need for police stations. There would be no more bad people and therefore no more crime,” she added.

 

Continue reading…

 

__

 

አባ ማትያስ፡ “ኢትዮጵያ ሀገረ እግዚአብሔር ነች”

መልካም የትንሣኤ በዓል!

 

 

ብፁዕ ወቅዱስ አቡነ ማትያስ ቀዳማዊ ፓትርያርክ ርዕሰ ሊቃነ ጳጳሳት ዘኢትዮጵያ ሊቀጳጳስ ዘአክሱም ወእጨጌ ዘመንበረ ተክለ ሃይማኖት የ2006 ዓ.ም. የጌታችን መድኀኒታችን ኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ የትንሣኤ በዓልን የእንኳን አደረሳችሁ የሚከተለውን መልእክት አስተላልፈዋል፦

ኢትዮጵያውያን አባቶቻችን በማናቸውም ጊዜ ከነውረ ኃጢአትና ከርኩሰት ሁሉ ርቀው፥ ሕገ–ተፈጥሮንና ሕገ–እግዚአብሔርን ጠብቀው፣ እግዚአብሔር የሚለውን ብቻ አዳምጠውና አክብረው የሚኖሩ ቅዱሳን በመሆናቸውን ነው እንጂ፤ በአሁኑ ጊዜ በኢትዮጵያ ምድር ሊፈጸም ቀርቶ ሊወራ የማይገባውን ሰዶምንና ገሞራን በእሳት ያጋየ ግብረ–ኃጢአት በኢትዮጵያ ምድር መሰማቱ እግዚአብሔር ለኢትዮጵያውያን የሰጠውን የቅድስና ክብር የሚያሳጣ ከመሆኑም ሌላ በሀገራችን ላይ ልማትና ዕድገት ሳይሆን መቅሰፍትና ውድቀት እንዳያስከትልብን ሁሉም ኢትዮጵያዊ ይህንን የሰዶም ግብረ–ኃጢአትን በጽናት መመከት አለበት፤ በቅዱስ ባህልና ሥነ–ምግባር እጅግ የበለጸገና የለማ ትውልድ ማፍራት የልማታችን አካል ማድረግ አለብን።

ምንጭ

ኢትዮጵያ ሀገረ እግዚአብሔር መሆኗን ሩሲያዊው የ “Independent“ጋዜጣ ባለቤትም እነሆ መስክሯል

The spirit of a pure Christianity: Exploring Ethiopia’s stunning subterranean churches

When he ventured into the mysterious subterranean churches of Ethiopia, Evgeny Lebedev not only visited one of the world’s architectural marvels, he experienced a humble Orthodox Christianity which shames Russia’s own.

 

Nowhere in Lalibela is as impressive, however, as the building they finished last. That is the Bet Giyorgis, or the Church of St George, and it is there – it being St George’s saint’s day – that the crowds are gathered and from where the chanting comes.

 

Ethiopia was cut off for centuries from the wider Christian world by the Islamic conquests to its north. During that time, its church flourished in isolation, untouched by and ignorant of the theological disputes dividing Europe. That means its traditions provide insight into an older, perhaps purer and certainly more mystical form of Christianity – one that dates back 1,600 years and therefore, in its unaltered forms, bears witness to a liturgy practised only a relatively brief period after the time of Jesus Christ.

 

As a Russian, I come from a country that is part of the Orthodox tradition. Culturally, the Russian Orthodox Church is my church – although little I have seen ever enamoured it to me. One only has to consider its hounding of punk-rock protesters Pussy Riot, or its cosy relationship with the state, or the sense of avarice that seems to emit from it, to realise why. In recent years, reports have emerged that a car repair and tyre service was being run underneath Christ the Saviour, Moscow’s largest Orthodox cathedral, and that a brothel was being run on land rented by Sretensky Monastery. Archpriest Mikhail Grigoriev of Kazan was discovered to own a BMW jeep, a Mercedes jeep and a Mercedes saloon as well as three flats and a country house. He was secretly filmed boasting about his £12,000 mobile phone and love of Italian designer clothes. This year, there have been allegations of sexual assault by Russian Orthodox clergy, with students supposedly plied with alcohol before being abused.

 

The church’s head, Patriarch Kirill, a man who regularly criticises Western commercialism and publicly called feminism “very dangerous”, was even caught out by his own hypocrisy: two years ago, his press team issued a photograph of a meeting in Ukraine in which Kirill’s $30,000 Swiss Breguet watch was airbrushed out. Unfortunately for them, they had overlooked its reflection on a polished table top.

 

Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church appears very different. On the ground, the impression I get is overwhelmingly one of a clergy committed to personal humility. Again and again I meet priests living lives just as humble as their congregations. They are keeping true to the tenet of their faith that they must forgo almost all possessions and dedicate themselves totally to the spiritual life. This, I feel, gives them considerable moral authority.

__

 

ሞተ ወልደ እግዚአብሔር

ፈጣሪዋ በዕንጨት መስቀል ላይ ተዘርግቶ ተሰቅሎ በአየችው ጊዜ ፀሐይ ጨለመች እርሱም ከእመቤታችን ከቅድስት ድንግል ማርያም የነሣትን ለባዊት ነባቢት የሆነች ነፍሱን ከሥጋው ለያት ሐዋርያ ጴጥሮስ በሥጋ ምውት ሲሆን በመለኮት ሕያው ነው እንዳለ ነፍሱ ከመለኮት ሳትለይ ከሥጋ ተለየች በዚያ ጊዜ ሥጋ ከመለኮት ሳይለይ በዕንጨት መስቀል ላይ ተሰቅሎ ነበር፡፡

 

እንዲሁም ነፍስ ከመለኮት ጋራ አንድ ሁና እሥረኞች ነፍሳትን ትፈታቸው ዘንድ ወደ ሲኦል ወረደች፡፡

 

እርሱ ከሰማያት በላይ ከፍ ከፍ ያለ ልዑለ ባሕርይ ከአብ ከመንፈስ ቅዱስ ጋራ በጌትነቱ ዙፋን ተቀምጦ ያለ ለእርሱም ምስጋና የክብር ክብር ገንዘቡ የሆነ ራሱን ሠውቶ አዳነን፣ የመንግስቱን ደጆች በፈሳሽ ደሙ ከፈተልን፡፡

 

ሐዋርያዊ ቅዱስ አትናቴዎስ እንዳለ የእግዚአብሔር ታላቅ የማዳን ሥራ ለባሕርያዊ ደግነቱ የተገባ ነው፡፡ አንድ ንጉሥ የመሠረተው ከተማ ወይም የሠራው ቤት ከጠባቂዎቹ ስንፍና የተነሣ በሽፍታ ቢጠቃና ቢወረር ሽፍታውን ተበቅሎ ይዞታነቱን ያጸናል እንጂ በጠላት በመወረሩ ምክንያት አይተወውም፡፡ የአብ አካላዊ ቃልም የእጁ ሥራ የሆነውን የሰው ዘር ጠፍቶ እንዲቀር አልተወውም፤ ሞትን የራሱን ሰውነት ለሞት አሳልፎ በመስጠት ሲያስወግድ፣ ለሰው ተሰጥቶት፣ ነገር ግን ሕጉን በመተላለፉ ምክንያት አጥቶት የነበረውን ሁሉ በኃይሉና በሥልጣኑ መለሰ፡፡

 

ይህንንም በመንፈሰ እግዚአብሔር የተቃኙት የመድኀኒታችን አገልጋዮች የጻፏቸው ቅዱሳን መጻሕፍት እንዲህ በማለት ያረጋግጡልናል፡፡ ‹‹ይህን ስለ ቆረጥን የክርስቶስ ፍቅር ግድ ይለናል፤ አንዱ ስለ ሁሉ ሞተ፣ እንግዲያስ ሁሉ ሞቱ፣ በሕይወትም ያሉት ስለ እነርሱ ለሞተውና ለተነሣው እንጂ ወደ ፊት ለራሳቸው እንዳይኖሩ ስለ ሁሉ ሞተ፡፡›› 2 ቆሮ 5÷14-15

 

በመቀጠልም ሌላ ማንም ሳይሆን ራሱ የእግዚአብሔር ቃል ለምን ሰው መሆን እንዳስፈለገው ምክንያቱን ይነግረናል፡– ‹‹ሁሉ ለእርሱ የሆነና ሁሉም በእርሱ ለሆነ ለርእሱ ብዙ ልጆችን ወደ ክብር ሲያመጣ የመዳናቸውን ራስ በመከራ ይፈጽም ዘንድ ተገብቶታልና፡፡›› ዕብ. 2÷9 ይህም ማለት ሰውን ከጀመረው ጥፋት መልሶ ሕይወትን መስጠት ጥንቱን ከፈጠረው ከእግዚአብሔር ቃል በስተቀር ለሌላ ለማንም ተገቢ አይደለምና፡፡

 

አካላዊ ቃል ጌታችን መድኀኒታችን ኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ሥጋን የተዋሐደው እንደ እርሱ ሰዎች ለሆኑ ሥጋውያን ሁሉ ቤዛ ይሆን ዘንድ ነበር፡፡ ሐዋርያው ‹‹ልጆቹ በሥጋና በደም እንደሚካፈሉ እርሱም እንዲሁ በሥጋና በደም ተካፈለ፤ በሞቱ በሞት ላይ ሥልጣን ያለውን ይሽረው ዘንድ፣ ይኸውም ዲያብሎስ ነው፤ በሕይወታቸው ዘመን ስለ ሞት ፍርሃት በባርነት ይታሰሩ የነበሩትን ሁሉ ነጻ ያወጣ ዘንድ›› ዕብ. 2÷14-15 በማለት እንደገለጸው፡፡ የራሱን ሰውነት በመሰዋት በእኛ ላይ የነበረውን ሕግ (ትሞታለህ የሚለውን) በመፈጸም አስወገደልን፡፡

 

እርሱ ራሱ በእኛ ላይ የነበረውን እርግማን ሊያስወግድ ከመጣ ለእርግማን የተቀመጠውን ሞት ካልተቀበለ በስተቀር እርግማናችንን እንዴት አድርጎ ይሸምልን ነበር? ይኸውም መስቀል ነው፡፡ ሰውም ሕጉን በተላለፈ ጊዜ ስለ ተረገመ የዚህ ርግመት ካሣ ሊከፈል የሚችለው የርግመት መገለጫ የሆነውን የመስቀል ሞት በመቀበል በመሆኑ ጌታችን የመስቀል ሞተ ተቀበለልን፡፡ ‹‹በእንጨት ላይ የሚሰቀል ሁሉ የተረገመ ነው ተብሎ ተጽፏልና ክርስቶስ ስለ እኛ እርግማን ሆኖ ከሕግ እርግማን ዋጀን፡፡›› ገላ. 3÷13 ተብሎ እንደተጻፈ፡፡

 

የሁላችን መድኀኒት ስለ እኛ ሞቶልናልና በእርሱ የምናምን እኛ በሕግ መልክ በማስጠንቀቂያ በተነገረውና ባጠፋን ጊዜም በተግባር በደረሰብን (በተፈጸመብን) የሞት ፍርድ እንደ ቀድሞው በኩነኔ ሞት አንሞትም፡፡ ክርስቶስ ስለ እኛ ሞትን ተቀብሎ የሕግ አፍራሽነት ዕዳችንን ከከፈለልን በኋላ ይህ ፍርድ ተፈጽሞ አልቋልና፡፡ እንዲሁም ሙስናና ጥፋት በጌታችን የትንሣኤ ኃይል ስለ ተወገደ ዛሬ እኛ እግዚአብሔር በወሰነው ጊዜ የምንሞተው ለሰውነታችን ተፈጥሮ እንደሞስማማ ሞተን የበለጠውን ትንሣኤ እናገኝ ዘንድ ነው፡፡

 

ደግሞም የጌታችን ሞት ለሁሉም ቤዛ ለመሆንና ሁሉንም ለመቤዠት እስከሆነ ድረስና በሞቱም የጥል ግድግዳን ያፈርስ ዘንድ፣ አሕዛብን ይጠራ ዘንድ እንደመሆኑ መጠን በመስቀል ላይ ባይሰቀል ኖሮ እንዴት ወደ እርሱ ይጠራን ነበር? ሰው እጆቹ ተዘርግተው ሊሞት የሚችለው በመስቀል ላይ ብቻ ነውና፡፡ በአንድ እጁ ቀደምት ሕዝቡን (አይሁድን)፣ በሌላው እጁ ደግሞ አሕዛብን ይጠራ ዘንድ ሁለቱንም በእርሱ አንድ አድረጎ ያዋሕዳቸው ዘንድ ጌታችን እጆቹን ዘርግቶ በመስቀል ላይ ሊሞት ተገባው፡፡ በምን ዓይነት ሞት ዓለሙን እንደሚቤዥ ሲያመለክት እርሱ ራሱ ያለው እንዲህ ነውና፡-‹‹እኔ ከምድር ከፍ ባልሁ ጊዜ ሁሉንም ወደ እኔ እስባለሁ››፡፡ እንዲሁም ጌታችን የመጣው ሰይጣንን ድል ለማድረግና ዕንቅፋትነቱን ከመንገዳችን ለማስወገድ፣ አየራትን ለማዘጋጀት ነውና፡፡ ይህስ ከምድር ከፍ ብሎ በአየር ላይ ከሚፈጸም ሞት ማለትም ከመስቀል ሞት በስተቀር በምን ዓይነት ሞት ሊፈጸም ይችል ነበር? በአየር ላይ ሊሞት የሚችለው በመስቀል ላይ የተሰቀለ ብቻ ነውና፡፡

 

ሰላም ለሕማማቲከ በተጸፍዖ መልታሕት ከመ እቡስ፡፡ በተቀሥፎ ዘባን ዓዲ ወተኰርዖ ርእስ፡፡ እንዘ መላኪሆሙ አንተ እግዚአብሔር ንጉሥ፡፡ ኢያፍርሁኒ ቀታልያኒሃ ለነፍስ፡፡ እስመ ማኅተምየ ደምከ ቅዱስ፡፡

 

 

ምንጭ

 

• በቂ ጊዜ ተወስዶ መታየት ያለበት ቪዲዮ፡

 

“AGE OF DECEIT 2” (FULL): Alchemy And The Rise of The Beast Image

 

• ጥንታዊ የኢትዮጵያ የብራና መዛግብት እና መጻሕፍት በጀርመኗ ፍራንክፈርት ዪኒቨርሲቲ እነሆ በዲጂታል መልክ ቀርበዋል

እዚህ

__

 

ሰሙነ ሕማማት ( ዘሰሉስ)

             ማክሰኞ

 

በዚህ ዕለት ጌታችን መድኀኒታችን ኢየሱሱ ክርስቶስ ስለ ሥልጣኑ ተጠይቋል፡፡ ጠያቂዎቹ የካህናት አለቆችና የሕዝብ አለቆች ናቸው፡፡ ጥያቄውም “በማን ሥልጣን እነዚህን ታደርጋለህ? ይህንስ ሥልጣን የሰጠህ ማነው?” የሚል ነበር፡፡ የካህናት አለቆች ያቀረቡት ጥያቄ ነበር፡፡ ጌታችን ሰኞ ዕለት ሁለት ነገሮችን ማድረጉን ተያይዞ የተነሣ ጥያቄ ነው፡፡ ሰኞ ከቅጠል ብቻ በቀር ፍሬ ያላገኘባትን ዕፀ በለስ ረግሟል፤ በማስከተል ወደ ቤተ መቅደስ ገብቶ የሚሸጡትንና የሚለውጡትን አስወጥቷል፡፡ ማቴ.21÷23-25፤ ማር.11÷27፣ ሉቃ.20÷1-8፡፡ ከላይ እንደ ተገለጸው ጌታችን ሲያደርጋቸው የነበሩት ተአምራትና የኃይል ሥራዎች የካህናት አለቆችን ስላስቀናቸው ጌታችንን ከሮማ መንግሥት ባለ ሥልጣናት ጋር ለማጋጨት የቀየሱት ስልት ነው፡፡

 

ጌታችን በቤተ መቅደስ የነበሩትን ነጋዴዎችን አባሯል፤ መደባቸውን ገለባብጧል፡፡ ነጋዴን ማባረርና መደብን ማስለቀቅ መንግሥታዊ ሥራ ነው፡፡ በአንድ አገር የንግድ ቦታን የሚያጸድቅ መንግሥት መሆኑ እሙን ነው፡፡ ጌታችን ፈሪሳውያን ላቀረቡት ጥያቄ ቀጥተኛ መልስ አልመለሰም፡፡ ምክንያቱም ጥያቄው ለከሳሾቹ አመቺ ሁኔታን ስለሚፈጥር ጥያቄውን በጥያቄ መልሷል፡፡ “በመባሕተ መኑ ትገብር ዘንተ፤ በማን ሥልጣን ነው ይህን የምታደርገው?” ነበር ያሉት፡፡ በራሴ ሥልጣን ቢላቸው ፀረ መንግሥት አቋም አለው በማለት ከሮማ መንግሥት ዘንድ ለማሳጣት ነበር ዕቅዳቸው፡፡

 

ጌታችን እኩይ የሆነውን የፈሪሳውያንን አሳብ በመረዳት “የዮሐንስ ጥምቀት ከየት ነው ከሰማይ ነው ወይስ ከምድር ሲል” ጠይቋቸዋል፡፡ ከሰማይ ያልነው እንደ ሆነ ለምን አላመናችሁበትም ይለናል÷ ከሰው ያልነው ከሆነ ሕዝቡ ይጣላናል፡፡ ምክንያቱም ሕዝቡ ዮሐንስን እንደ አባት ይፈሩት እንደ መምህር ያከብሩት ነበርና ከዚህ የተነሣ ያቀረቡት የፈተና ጥያቄ ግቡን ሳይመታ ከሽፎባቸዋል፡፡ ማቴ.21÷25፤ ማር.11÷27-30፤ ሉቃ.20÷1-8፡፡

 

ዛሬም ቢሆን መልካም ሥራን በሠራን ጊዜ ከልዩ ልዩ ወገኖች የሚመጡ ፈተናዎች ለመልካም ሥራችን እንቅፋት ሊሆን እንደሚችሉ መገንዘብ አለብን፡፡ ብዙ ወገኖች ለቅን አሳባችን ለምን ሰዎች ክፉ ነገር ይመልሱልናል በማለት ሲጠይቁ ይሰማል፡፡ ለቅን ዐሳባችን ከዓለም ዘንድ የተገላቢጦሽ ነገር እንደ ሚጠብቀን “ዓለም የሚወደው የገዛ ወገኑን ነው” የሚለውን የጌታችንን ትምህርት ልብ ይሏል፡፡ ይህ በመሆኑ በዘመናችን አሳልፈው ሊሰጡን የሚፈልጉ ሰዎች ፈታኝ ጥያቄ እንደሚያቀርቡልን ከወዲሁ ልንገነዘብ ይገባል፡፡

 

ምንጭ

__

 

Reconquered Spain Celebrates The Holy Week – Britain Conquered by Unholy Warriors

                  SEMANA SANTA / HOLY WEEK IN SPAIN

 

 

 

Truly one of Spain’s most breathtaking celebrations, Easter is a one-of-a-kind display of tradition, music, culture, theatre and religion

 

The holiday, jubilant in Sevilla and Andalucía and solemn elsewhere in Spain, is practically defined by its stunning processions comparable to the Ethiopian Timket / Epiphany or Meskel celebrations. Each of these processions typically boasts two intensely adorned floats, one of The Virgin Mary and the other of a scene from Christ’s Passion. Take in the lavish decoration of these incredible creations as they slowly pass before you accompanied by the music of coronets and drums; its hard to do without getting chills. Underneath each float, you’ll just barely be able to make out rows and rows of feet. There are up to forty men, called costaleros, who haul the float on shoulders and control its swaying motion. In fact, they practice so much and are so in sync with each other that the realistic figures on top look eerily as if they were walking along to the music.

 

Impossible to miss are the seemingly endless rows of nazarenos, or penitents, who walk along with the float.. You may even see many nazarenos walking barefoot, which is pretty impressive, considering some of the processions last up to 14 hours! Oh, and don’t be thrown off by the resemblance between the pointy hoods and long robes of the nazarenos and those of the Ku Klux Klan: it’s coincidental and completely unrelated.

 

Don’t be surprised to see how nicely the people dress to watch the processions, especially during the second half of the week. Women often dress to the nines while many men brave the sun in full suits. Of course not everybody dresses up so much, but, basically, if you want to fit in watching the processions, just leave the t-shirt you wore to paint your garage behind.

 

As with any cultural celebration, Spain’s elaborate Semana Santa was for centuries a work-in-progress. The starting point for its extensive history is clearly the death of Christ, from which it takes its subject, however the celebration that we see today is the result of centuries of evolution.

 

A significant point in the history of the Semana Santa is 1521, when the Marqués de Tarifa returned to Spain from the Holy Land. After his journey, he institutionalized the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) in Spain and from that moment on this holy event was celebrated with a procession. Over time, the observance of the Via Crucis eventually broke up into the various scenes of the Passion, with the incorporation of portable crosses and altars. This would eventually lead to today’s elaborate processions.

 

Check out any map of Semana Santa routes and you will see the Carrera Oficial, or official route, clearly marked. This original route, while it has evolved since 1604, continues to serve as the backbone for the present route. The final major step took place in the 17th century, when Seville’s various cofradías (brotherhoods) began dividing and organizing themselves into what they are today.

 

Twenty Five British Schools in Birmingham to Be Investigated Over ‘Extremist Muslim’ Plot Fears

 

“We are sinners, acting wrongly and doing evil; we have gone against you, turning away from your orders and from your laws. We have not given ear to your servants the prophets, who said words in your name to our kings and our rulers and our fathers and all the people of the land……O Lord, shame is on us, on our kings and our rulers and our fathers, because of our sin against you” [Dan. 9: 5-8]

 

“The fifth angel sounded his trumpet; and I saw a star that had fallen out of heaven onto the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft leading down to the Abyss. He opened the shaft of the Abyss, and there went up smoke from the shaft like the smoke of a huge furnace; the sun was darkened, and the sky too, by the smoke from the shaft. Then out of the smoke onto the earth came LOCUSTS, and they were given power like the power SCORPIONS have on earth. They were instructed not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant or any tree, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The LOCUSTS were not allowed to kill them, only to inflict pain on them for five months; and the pain they caused was like the pain of a SCORPION sting. In those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

 

“Now these LOCUSTS looked like horses outfitted for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold, and their faces were like human faces. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. Their chests were like iron breastplates, and the sound their wings made was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails like those of SCORPIONS, with stings; and in their TAILS was the power to hurt people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is ‘Abaddon’ and in our language, ‘Destroyer.’“

 

The prophetic seals on the books of Daniel and Revelation are unsealing right before our very eyes, as the scourges and plagues are only increasing – Islam as a designed counterpart of Christianity always reigns where light is absent, and triumphs where apostasy prevails – like in the current Western World.

 

Back to the report…

 

In Birmingham, UK, the number of schools to be investigated over fears children are being “radicalised” by extremist Muslims attempting to seize control of institutions has increased to 25.”

 

Teams of inspectors are to be sent into schools and will be able to penalise those where religious conservatism is believed to be getting in the way of teaching.”

 

The Department for Education (DfE) launched the investigation after an alleged Islamic takeover plot to force out governors and head teachers was reported in Birmingham.”

 

An anonymous letter claiming responsibility for changes in leadership at four schools in the city says it was part of a campaign called Operation Trojan Horse. The letter set out a blueprint for seizing control of schools and claimed a radical group of Muslims were pursuing their own agenda in classrooms and forcing out head teachers and governors who refused to cooperate.

 

Birmingham City Council said it was appointing a new chief advisor to directly handle at least 200 complaints received in relation to the Operation Trojan Horse allegations focusing on schools in the city.

 

Here are some of the comments from British readers on the subject:

 

“We must have had the dumbest load of politicians of any country in the last 50 years to allow this to develop”

 

“You guys, the country of Britain, blindly and willfully let this happen to yourself. Who’s to say you don’t deserve it? Its hard to take pity on you guys when you so willfully destroy yourselves.”

 

“Slowly but surely… they are everywhere, Holland, Belgium, France, UK… and everyone is blind to this scourge.”

 

“We have allowed vipers to flourish in our education system”

 

“Today Schools, tomorrow Banks,the day after the Government and Justice systems!!! When is this weak Government going to start clamping down on this Destruction of the UK from within?”

 

Continue reading…

__