A Day of Reckoning and Healing:
If Not Now, When...?
4 November, 2009 | Rev. Tegga Lendado, PhD
democratic nation, USA, recognized this fact and openly practiced
and promoted prayer. These leaders were not ashamed of their
heritage and value although their descendants today seem to be fast
drifting from the legacy. In this short article, I would like to
persuade my esteemed readers to consider the need of a national,
regional or local day of repentance, forgiveness and healing before
going to polls to vote for their representatives. My intention here is
not so much how these could be done as what could be done.
On March 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the
following proclamation.
“Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing
the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in
all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution,
requested the President to designate and set apart a day for
National prayer and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own
their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess
their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured
hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and
to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures
and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed
whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like
individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in
this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil
war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment,
inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end
of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the
recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been
preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity…..
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended
Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and
forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully
concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my
proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of
April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer.
And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day,
from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several
places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping
the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of
the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly
in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united
cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with
blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the
restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its
former happy condition of unity and peace.”
The National Day of Prayer is a day designated by the United
States Congress as a day when people are asked to come together
and pray, especially for their country. It was created as a floating
holiday in 1952 and fixed on the first Thursday in May by Ronald
Reagan.
The Bible declares, “If my people who are called in my name
shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will fogive
their sin and will heal their land.” ( 2Chr. 7:13-14).
In as much as sin provokes God’s judgment, genuine repentance
and reconciliation invoke His mercy and blessing through earnest
prayer (Mt. 5:24). With His mercy come our personal and national
healing. If national begging and poverty do not humble us to be
forgiving and kind to one another, then what else would? Notice
that such previlege is given to “My” (i.e., God’s own) people
anywhere although it was given to the Israelites in the Old
Testament. In the New Testament it is “whosoever” (Jn. 1: 12-14)
willing to believe and obey God’s Son, the Messaiah in whom all
beleivers are included.
In my youth in Wolayita Soddo, Ethiopia, I saw Aba Melaku, a
renowned monk who was later renamed Abuna Tekle Haimanot at
his ordination as Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church during
the traumatic Dirgue reign in 1975. Living close to the monastery
where the Abuna lived, I had the privilege of knowing him
personally. He used to wear chains on his naked torso, a leather
skirt covering from his waste to the knee and barasso sandals on
his feet. Going to school, I would see him every morning walking so
fast past my house. It was fun to run after him sometimes. He
sometimes blessed me laying his cold and soft hand on my head. I
must confess that I used to throw pebbles at him along with the
neighborhood boys. But, when I came to my senses, I loved him. I
believe he was in his late forties in 1960s when the attempted coup
against the Emperor failed and many plotters were killed. Among
them was the beloved Guermamay Neway, the former governor of
Wolayita. The news about his death was devastating to many who
loved him. I believe it was thereafter that the Abuna organized a
prayer rally at the Tekle Haimanot Monastery. He mobilized
teachers and students of Ligaba Beyene School, men and women
of all ages to pray for Ethiopia. Aba Melaku walked on bare foot
around the whole city yelling, “Maat metta, libb gizu” (meaning, a
disaster is at hand; repent). He called the people of Soddo to fast
and pray daily for Ethiopia for three weeks. We prostrated and
prayed every morning and evening. Sure enough, God averted the
“Maat” that Ethiopia could have been subjected to.
By and large, Ethiopians had been deeply “religious” people before
atheistic communism wrecked the country in 1974. In the dilemma
of prolonged poverty, starvation, misery and underdevelopment
owing to natural and manmade causes, we plunged into a political
and socio-cultural abyss called communist revolution. In dethroning
th emperor, we felt we also got rid of the Almighty God and His
creation whom we blamed for our misfortunes. We rebeled against
any authority from parent to prime minister. We defied our
environment, tradition, culture, religion, ancestors, our own history
and ethos. We sank into a state of denial having been drugged by
the communist literature filled with hatred, hopelessness,
destruction, jealosy, rage, bitterness, doom and gloom. In that state
of mind we killed each other, facilitated destruction, found
ourselves further sinking in corruption and chaos and provoked
havoc in the city and country (Red and White Terror). We showed
contempt to the rule of law thinking we were the law. We
demonized others to promote ourselves. We renounced defeat
because thinking we were invincible. We did not feel guilty because
we sealed our conscience. We feared neither man nor God.
Interestingly, we said we had a religion or an ancestoral legacy. We
took our children to church but we were not believers. We
despised the church and all religious establishments. We did not
know how to discipline ourselves but we wanted to lead our nation.
We did not have peace within us but we preached utopia. We hid
hatred and war in our hearts but outwardly advocated for justice.
Even so, at dandy maturity, we still do not fear God and respect
others; we cannot stand each other individually but we easily unite
for such activites as edir, debo, feast, sports, tekawumo or degaf,
worship and war. While these seemingly brutal generalizations are
largely true, conversely, we posess a legacy of chewanet
(gentleness) and endurance as a people. Our bravery in battle and
ambiguity in diplomacy seem to command universal respect.
Obviously, the “we” here refers to any adult who survived the
communist revolution of 1974-1991 and are still fiercely atheist or
agnostic in attitude and action. “We” are now fathers and grand
fathers but still unrepentant of our sin of overt or covert
commission or apathy. Either way, we are accomplice with the past
onslaughts and the present internal woes. The good news is that we
are all sinners (Rom.3:23) who deserve death but for God’s mercy
(Rom.6:23). Many of us have fled to churches and worship centers
but only God knows whether we have truly repented, reconciled
with ourselves and our neighbors, repaired our relationship to the
point of trusting one another. I believe, this is the national malady.
In April/May 1991, just before Col. Mengistu’s arrival in Harare,
Zimbabwe, an Egyptian
Orthodox priest and I organized a three-weeks fasting and prayer
meeting for Ethiopia. A group of about 120-150 Ethiopians prayed
every evening at the Egyptian Church, as did many others around
the world. As a result, I believe God averted the danger and
brought calm to the land
We are grateful that many people have joined their fellow believers
repenting and praying in public prayer rallies in recent years.
Apparently, the lacking link is reconciliation to the extent of
repairing broken relationships, healing wounded hearts and burying
lingering memories in our minds. We know our past has to be
effectively dealt with in order to face the present and unknown
future. As a servant of God and a fellow wounded warier (not
physically),
I am only here to encourage every one in advanced age to forgive
one another, repent and reconcile with God first and with his/her
alleged offender, echoing Prof. Mesfin Wolde Mariam’s Yiqer
LeEgziAbher. No anger should last beyond one day, according to
Eph. 4:26. I am pleading with politicans or apoliticals, ruling or
ruled, opposing parties or supporters, peasantry or proletariate,
professionals or businessmen, rich or poor, Tigre or Somali, etc.,
who are embittered with one another to reconcile with themselves
first and then with thier immediate offenders, i.e., neighbors,
brothers or sisters before praying to God in behalf of the country. I
am appealing to all Christian denominations both in Ethiopia and in
the Diaspora, including the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Ethiopian
Catholic Church and all Protestant or Evangelical Churches, to
intentionally colaborate in this grandoise matter of hosting a day of
confession, prayer and reconciliation in ahead of the upcoming
election in Ethiopia and among the Diaspora.
Similarly, I am not ashamed to beg fellow Ethiopians of other
persuasions, to consecrate such a day for prayer, forgiveness,
repentance, healing, reconciliation and reconnection ahead of the
upcoming election season, should their religion provide such a
moment. I believe God’s love and grace transcend all our doctrinal
differences and religious traditions. Let us take time to render
gratitude to God, put aside our differences, appreciate and accept
one another, no matter how insignificant the reason may seem.
God, heal us and our posteriority! God bless Africa! Nkosi
sekelele Afrika!
Rev. Tegga Lendado, PhD.
If Not Now, When...?
4 November, 2009 | Rev. Tegga Lendado, PhD
- In the face of corruption,
mistrust, misunderstanding,
recurrent famine, terrorist
threats, border tensions,
bitter rivalry among
politicians, bickering
intelligentsia, silent
resistance, remote
religiosity, futile climate
change chatters and
diplomacy, etc., we need
to seek God’s face. There
is gross sin in the house!
Forgiveness, confession,
fasting, prayer,
reconciliation and
reconnecting with one
another constitute a major
democratic nation, USA, recognized this fact and openly practiced
and promoted prayer. These leaders were not ashamed of their
heritage and value although their descendants today seem to be fast
drifting from the legacy. In this short article, I would like to
persuade my esteemed readers to consider the need of a national,
regional or local day of repentance, forgiveness and healing before
going to polls to vote for their representatives. My intention here is
not so much how these could be done as what could be done.
On March 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the
following proclamation.
“Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing
the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in
all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution,
requested the President to designate and set apart a day for
National prayer and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own
their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess
their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured
hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and
to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures
and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed
whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like
individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in
this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil
war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment,
inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end
of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the
recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been
preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity…..
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended
Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and
forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully
concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my
proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of
April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer.
And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day,
from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several
places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping
the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of
the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly
in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united
cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with
blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the
restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its
former happy condition of unity and peace.”
The National Day of Prayer is a day designated by the United
States Congress as a day when people are asked to come together
and pray, especially for their country. It was created as a floating
holiday in 1952 and fixed on the first Thursday in May by Ronald
Reagan.
The Bible declares, “If my people who are called in my name
shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will fogive
their sin and will heal their land.” ( 2Chr. 7:13-14).
In as much as sin provokes God’s judgment, genuine repentance
and reconciliation invoke His mercy and blessing through earnest
prayer (Mt. 5:24). With His mercy come our personal and national
healing. If national begging and poverty do not humble us to be
forgiving and kind to one another, then what else would? Notice
that such previlege is given to “My” (i.e., God’s own) people
anywhere although it was given to the Israelites in the Old
Testament. In the New Testament it is “whosoever” (Jn. 1: 12-14)
willing to believe and obey God’s Son, the Messaiah in whom all
beleivers are included.
In my youth in Wolayita Soddo, Ethiopia, I saw Aba Melaku, a
renowned monk who was later renamed Abuna Tekle Haimanot at
his ordination as Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church during
the traumatic Dirgue reign in 1975. Living close to the monastery
where the Abuna lived, I had the privilege of knowing him
personally. He used to wear chains on his naked torso, a leather
skirt covering from his waste to the knee and barasso sandals on
his feet. Going to school, I would see him every morning walking so
fast past my house. It was fun to run after him sometimes. He
sometimes blessed me laying his cold and soft hand on my head. I
must confess that I used to throw pebbles at him along with the
neighborhood boys. But, when I came to my senses, I loved him. I
believe he was in his late forties in 1960s when the attempted coup
against the Emperor failed and many plotters were killed. Among
them was the beloved Guermamay Neway, the former governor of
Wolayita. The news about his death was devastating to many who
loved him. I believe it was thereafter that the Abuna organized a
prayer rally at the Tekle Haimanot Monastery. He mobilized
teachers and students of Ligaba Beyene School, men and women
of all ages to pray for Ethiopia. Aba Melaku walked on bare foot
around the whole city yelling, “Maat metta, libb gizu” (meaning, a
disaster is at hand; repent). He called the people of Soddo to fast
and pray daily for Ethiopia for three weeks. We prostrated and
prayed every morning and evening. Sure enough, God averted the
“Maat” that Ethiopia could have been subjected to.
By and large, Ethiopians had been deeply “religious” people before
atheistic communism wrecked the country in 1974. In the dilemma
of prolonged poverty, starvation, misery and underdevelopment
owing to natural and manmade causes, we plunged into a political
and socio-cultural abyss called communist revolution. In dethroning
th emperor, we felt we also got rid of the Almighty God and His
creation whom we blamed for our misfortunes. We rebeled against
any authority from parent to prime minister. We defied our
environment, tradition, culture, religion, ancestors, our own history
and ethos. We sank into a state of denial having been drugged by
the communist literature filled with hatred, hopelessness,
destruction, jealosy, rage, bitterness, doom and gloom. In that state
of mind we killed each other, facilitated destruction, found
ourselves further sinking in corruption and chaos and provoked
havoc in the city and country (Red and White Terror). We showed
contempt to the rule of law thinking we were the law. We
demonized others to promote ourselves. We renounced defeat
because thinking we were invincible. We did not feel guilty because
we sealed our conscience. We feared neither man nor God.
Interestingly, we said we had a religion or an ancestoral legacy. We
took our children to church but we were not believers. We
despised the church and all religious establishments. We did not
know how to discipline ourselves but we wanted to lead our nation.
We did not have peace within us but we preached utopia. We hid
hatred and war in our hearts but outwardly advocated for justice.
Even so, at dandy maturity, we still do not fear God and respect
others; we cannot stand each other individually but we easily unite
for such activites as edir, debo, feast, sports, tekawumo or degaf,
worship and war. While these seemingly brutal generalizations are
largely true, conversely, we posess a legacy of chewanet
(gentleness) and endurance as a people. Our bravery in battle and
ambiguity in diplomacy seem to command universal respect.
Obviously, the “we” here refers to any adult who survived the
communist revolution of 1974-1991 and are still fiercely atheist or
agnostic in attitude and action. “We” are now fathers and grand
fathers but still unrepentant of our sin of overt or covert
commission or apathy. Either way, we are accomplice with the past
onslaughts and the present internal woes. The good news is that we
are all sinners (Rom.3:23) who deserve death but for God’s mercy
(Rom.6:23). Many of us have fled to churches and worship centers
but only God knows whether we have truly repented, reconciled
with ourselves and our neighbors, repaired our relationship to the
point of trusting one another. I believe, this is the national malady.
In April/May 1991, just before Col. Mengistu’s arrival in Harare,
Zimbabwe, an Egyptian
Orthodox priest and I organized a three-weeks fasting and prayer
meeting for Ethiopia. A group of about 120-150 Ethiopians prayed
every evening at the Egyptian Church, as did many others around
the world. As a result, I believe God averted the danger and
brought calm to the land
We are grateful that many people have joined their fellow believers
repenting and praying in public prayer rallies in recent years.
Apparently, the lacking link is reconciliation to the extent of
repairing broken relationships, healing wounded hearts and burying
lingering memories in our minds. We know our past has to be
effectively dealt with in order to face the present and unknown
future. As a servant of God and a fellow wounded warier (not
physically),
I am only here to encourage every one in advanced age to forgive
one another, repent and reconcile with God first and with his/her
alleged offender, echoing Prof. Mesfin Wolde Mariam’s Yiqer
LeEgziAbher. No anger should last beyond one day, according to
Eph. 4:26. I am pleading with politicans or apoliticals, ruling or
ruled, opposing parties or supporters, peasantry or proletariate,
professionals or businessmen, rich or poor, Tigre or Somali, etc.,
who are embittered with one another to reconcile with themselves
first and then with thier immediate offenders, i.e., neighbors,
brothers or sisters before praying to God in behalf of the country. I
am appealing to all Christian denominations both in Ethiopia and in
the Diaspora, including the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Ethiopian
Catholic Church and all Protestant or Evangelical Churches, to
intentionally colaborate in this grandoise matter of hosting a day of
confession, prayer and reconciliation in ahead of the upcoming
election in Ethiopia and among the Diaspora.
Similarly, I am not ashamed to beg fellow Ethiopians of other
persuasions, to consecrate such a day for prayer, forgiveness,
repentance, healing, reconciliation and reconnection ahead of the
upcoming election season, should their religion provide such a
moment. I believe God’s love and grace transcend all our doctrinal
differences and religious traditions. Let us take time to render
gratitude to God, put aside our differences, appreciate and accept
one another, no matter how insignificant the reason may seem.
God, heal us and our posteriority! God bless Africa! Nkosi
sekelele Afrika!
Rev. Tegga Lendado, PhD.
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