A call to prayer for Ethiopian Church Mekane Yesus

Today I received the following letter in my e-mail inbox for a call to prayer for the Ethiopian Evangelical (Lutheran) Church Mekane Yesus. What a sad and tragic situation. The members of Mekane Yesus are certainly following the way of the cross this Lent. May Christ be with them to provide for their needs during this time of persecution. May the international community also intervene in a timely and appropriate way to facilitate a just peace in Ethiopia.

Dearly beloved,

Grace and peace to you,

I am sure by now you have all come back to your normal routines and back to the family and ministry you love. Thanks be to God for the privilege of having most you in Ethiopia on those historic few days in Addis Ababa.

I am writing this email to share with a prayer call I am asked to pass on to you by the President of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, the Rev. Dr. Wakseyoum Idossa.

In the last few days over 41 churches and several evangelical mission stations or mission congregations were burned down. There are thousands of people expelled from their homes and some who are even badly beaten and killed. The perpetrators are Radical Islamist and Jihadist elements who are now operating in the western and south western parts of Ethiopia. I have spoken with Rev. Wakseyoum as he was visiting Mekane Yesus Churches and Synods close to the border of Sudan. The Voice of America (VOA) called, got in touch with him and interviewed him today and he spoke to the world from that remote spot through this international VOA radio streamed out of Washington DC.

On that interview given in Amharic he stated that, the Mekane Yesus have intentionally worked hard to establish good relationships with Muslim Ethiopians and that work have resulted in so much good and positive relationship. However he is shocked and saddened by this outbreak lashing out in heartbreaking atrocities. This brutal act is not the first of its kind. Three years ago Muslim fundamentalists have burned down several churches, killed evangelists, pastors and lay leaders. They are now repeating the same attacks. Today thousands have lost their homes, churches, family members and their rights to safely worship and conduct their ministries.

The Ethiopian government officials and security forces have intervened. The out come of their work is yet to be known. Some leaders from the central office of the Mekane Yesus Church in Addis Ababa have traveled to the area today to start getting help to the victims. There are many people who are now waiting to get some emergency aid in a camp. President Idossa is going to release another statement in the next few days as the investigation continues and as the government tries to bring these acts under control and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Persecution is not new to our church, however every time it happens it opens up old wounds and breaks the heart of many. In the middle all these our brothers and sisters are walking into this holy Lenten season not with ashes on their forehead but carrying the cross of Christ and confessing their faith in the words of Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd!"

May God renew our world in this Lenten season through the Holy Word of God and through power grace of God through Christ, Amen!!

Peace and Blessings,

The Rev. Dr. Gemechis D. Buba

drbuba@gmail.com

Cell: 773 678 2513

Living in God's Amazing Grace

Bruce Cockburn’s latest album

Canadian singer-songwriter, Bruce Cockburn is one of my favourite musicians. He is both a masterfully creative and extremely accomplished musician—always on the cutting edge by experimenting with a variety of genres. Bruce is an inspiration for other musicians, now active in his art for over four decades. In addition to this, I respect him because of his gift of incorporating his faith into his music—which is reminiscent of the Hebrew Bible prophets and their passion for social justice. Bruce, in my humble opinion, is the prophetic voice of our nation. You can read this CBC interview and listen to his latest album, Small Source of Comfort here.

The pope's new book

According to breaking news at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the pope, in his new book Jesus of Nazareth-Part II, absolves Jewish collective guilt for the death of Jesus. I think Christians (not only Roman Catholics) have been slow in absolving the Jews. Had Christians done so centuries ago, history may have been much different, a lot less antisemitism. It is, nonetheless, better late than never, especially in light of the growing antisemitism in many countries. It is too early to know how the church and the world shall respond to the pope's latest gesture, we'll have to wait and see. You can read the news release from SWC here.

A prayer by Soren Kierkegaard

Father Celestial! You loved us first. In a world where we are seduced by false loves and lovers, where restless souls succumb to specious but spurious affection and we are submersed in the agony of the past and the fright of the future and the distress of the present, assure us that we still can love. Remind us that we love because You first loved us; thus, our love can be that pure and holy affection, which only God and His beloved people can know and show! [From: Soren Kierkegaard: The Mystique Of Prayer And Pray-er, Translated by Lois S. Bowers, Edited by George K. Bowers.

This little volume is a real gem, not only providing readers with a window into the personal devotional life of S.K., but also including his prayers that have never before been translated into English with special permission of the Det kongelige Bibliotek of Copenhagen. 

Tongue on the Post Folk Music Festival

Wood River Hall 2 from Connie Kaldor on Vimeo.

This past weekend marked the 5th annual Medicine Hat Tongue on the Post Folk Music Festival. It all kicked off with a free admission singer-songwriter night on Friday, highlighting a lot of local talent. This year's keynote musician was Saskatchewan-born, Connie Kaldor. Here is one of my favourite songs that she performs about the prairie land-and-sky-scape from her website.

Ice music from Norway

What a wonderful way to celebrate winter! You can check out more ice music at the composer's website here.

Movie Review

The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler

Based on the authorized biography, Mother of the Children of the Holocaust: The Irena Sendler Story, by Anna Mieszkowska, this movie, directed by John Kent Harrison, is a must-view for all historians and those interested in the Holocaust movie genre.

Irena Sendler, a Polish-Catholic social worker (played by Anna Paquin) in the Jewish Warsaw Ghetto, is deeply disturbed by the deplorable conditions due to the Nazi occupation of Poland. Her passion and compassion are evident as she hatches an ingenious plan to rescue Jewish children out of the Ghetto, under the noses of Nazi soldiers. The description “courageous heart,” is a very apt one. I was moved by the comment of Irena to her mother when the latter tried to warn Irena not to risk her life for saving the Jews. Irena replied to her mother, by quoting her dad who was a doctor and friend of the Jews: “I remember that father said: ‘If you see a man drowning, you must still try to save him, even if you cannot swim.’”

True to her word, Irena was most successful in organizing an underground network to rescue over 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. However, at first it was quite a challenge for Irena to convince the Jewish parents and a rabbi that she was doing the right thing. One of the fears was that the Jewish children would lose their Jewish faith and become Christians. Irena tried to assure them that that was not her motive or plan. The movie succeeded in emphasising the deep agony it caused both the Jewish parents and children to be separated from each other—some of them likely knowing they would never see one another again. It is amazing that not one rescued child was ever betrayed or discovered by the Nazis. The children were given false identification documents and placed in convents and with Polish families. Irena was meticulous in keeping hidden records of each child’s Jewish name and where they found refuge; hoping that the children would be reunited with their Jewish parents after World War II.

Eventually, the Gestapo found out about Sendler, arrested and tortured her by beating and breaking her feet. As she was taken to be executed by a firing squared, the underground Zegota were able to rescue her.

At the end of the movie, it was touching to listen to the real Irena Sendler, in a 2005 interview, exhorting viewers to remember the Jewish parents who gave up their children and never saw them again; and to remember also the many Polish parents who provided a home and refuge for the Jewish children; and later many had to give them up after the war, which was hard for them too.

The movie also stated that in 2007, Irena Sendler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She died in Warsaw in 2008 at 98 years-of-age.