The Ethiopian Church Journal Blog

The Most Beautiful Cross in the World - The Lalibela Ethiopian Cross Professor Tecola W. Hagos There is no other cross in the world that even remotely shares any design commonality with the Lalibela Ethiopian Cross. This Cross is unique in its highly sophisticated design and how ingeniously the greatest Biblical story is incorporated within its matrix. The first time I saw the Lalibela Cross was when I was a high school student some forty years ago--in another life. Since then until very recently, I thought of the Lalibela Cross as very mysterious and puzzling. Thus, over the years I tried to learn more about this great Cross. At times, I even wondered how it could even be considered a cross.  There are two basic designs of crosses: the Latin Cross and the Greek Cross. Every cross in the world is built around these two underlying designs. I checked thousands of variations, some improvised and others strictly traditional designs of crosses, in books, catalogs, and recently through the

Every Day an Easter By Mitiku Adisu This Sunday, May 2, 2021, Ethiopians will be celebrating Easter. You may be wondering why a second Easter after having had one on April 4. The short end of it is that Eastern and Western churches have different traditions. Should that then be reason for not joining in or for thinking a difference in tradition "gives a divided witness?" [1] Not at all, because it is only fitting that we celebrate the Risen Christ a second, third, nay, daily, and all year.Jesus is alive. We worship One who came into time dressed in our humanity to demonstrate God's love and forgiveness by tearing down the wall of sin that separated us from the Holy One of Israel and from one another; he gave us peace, a new community, and a living hope. There is a redeemer,  Jesus, God's own Son, Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,  Holy One,         Jesus my redeemer,         Name above all names,        Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,        Oh, for si

The Fire on the Mountain (an Ethiopian folktale) People say that in the old days in the city of Addis Ababa, there was a young man by the name of Arha. He had come as a boy from the country of Guragé, and in the city he became the servant of a rich merchant, Haptom Hasei. Haptom Hasei was so rich that he owned everything that money could buy, and often he was very bored because he had tired of everything he knew, and there was nothing new for him to do. One cold night, when the damp wind was blowing across the plateau, Haptom called to Arha to bring wood for the fire. When Arha was finished, Haptom began to talk. “How much cold can a man stand?” he said, speaking at first to himself. “I wonder if it would be possible for a man to stand on the highest peak, Mount Sululta, where the coldest winds blow, through an entire night without blankets or clothing and yet not die?” “I don’t know,” Arha said. “But wouldn’t it be a foolish thing?” “Perhaps, if he had nothing to gain by it,

Ethiopia Honors Olympic Victor Ethiopia's Victor in the Olympic marathon event in Rome on September 15, 1960, received a hero's welcome for his outstanding feat of snatching the first Olympic Gold Medal for his country in the marathon duel against some of the world's best runners. Long before the time scheduled for the arrival of the plane bringing the Ethiopian Olympic team home, Addis Ababa airport and the city's main streets leading in the direction of the airport began to become crowded with welcoming crowds. All roads appeared to lead not as the saying has it, to Rome, but to Addis Ababa airport. Reception Among the packed crowd at the airport were included all categories of the city's population—-high-ranking government officials, white collar workers, and ordinary folk. The Imperial Body Guard, of which the Olympic victor is a member, was well represented. The Imperial Body Guard band, decked out in full dress red tunics and green bloomers was on hand to add

The Blood-horse Jockey Antongeorgi adopts mare he rode at Golden Gate. He should instead try one of Ethiopian breeds. A little history lesson would take him further, higher, faster! pic credit: pinterest.com (top); press.et (bottom)  

The Monastic Community of Ethiopia by Robert Van de Weyer The following is a description of the life of the Ethiopian monastic community (nefrugeddam), based on visits to 18 major monasteries and lengthy interviews with the monks. It is remarkable that from one end of Ethiopia to the other the life of the monasteries is essentially the same, varying only in degrees of strictness. It is possible therefore to typify that life. The Ethiopian monastery has, so the monks believe, remained unchanged for 1,500 years. The original Christian monks in the fourth century were hermits living in the Egyptian desert. Gradually they came together to form communities, building simple villages for themselves with a common kitchen and a church where they could meet daily for prayers. From Egypt monasticism spread westwards to Italy and France where it quickly became highly organised and authoritarian. St. Benedict's long rule which was soon adopted throughout Europe prescribed in detail every hour

The Horsemen of Old-Time Ethiopia By Richard Pankhurst Ethiopia has since time immemorial been a great country of horses and horsemen; riding ability and prowess on horseback have been traditionally rated by an essentially warrior people as among the highest of manly virtues, and some of the most daring and highly honoured acts of sportsmanship were carried out on horseback, rulers and important personalities being indeed frequently referred to by the names of their horses. The vastness of the Ethiopian scene – the word Empire is fully appropriate – and the frequency of warfare, above all in the old days between the Christian empire and its Muslim and pagan neighbours, gave immense importance to the horse which was par excellence the warrior's steed. The animal was in fact primarily ridden for fighting when speed of manoeuvre was essential; at other times in view of the rugged terrain the mule was preferred, the latter animal usually costing about twice twice as much as the form