The children see that everything is different in this shopping mall airport terminal.  They seemed to sleep well on the plane while I learned that Semitic languages all may have originated in Ethiopia.  This includes the language of Jesus.  Ethiopia seems blessed and afflicted by its location at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East.  This trade brought Christianity to the Auxum Empire as it controlled trade on the Red Sea.  Christianity and Islam have a long history of struggle there with Muslim kingdoms to the south exercising changing amounts of influence on the kingdom.  We keep seeing something like this every time the BBC shows a televised report on the airplane video screens.  Ethiopian troops suppressing Somali Islamists in order to make it possible for the legitimate government there to survive doesn’t seem so disconnected to the past.

    The importance of theological controversies in the political life of the Ethiopian nation surprises me.  Abba Ewostatewos (1273-1352) had a lasting influence in his insistence on reviving / revitalizing Old Testament traditions especially around the Sabbath.  This was in contradiction to the practices of the Alexandrian Church.  Harold Marcus insists that or rather I should say suggests that the Beta Israel originate from Christians who so enthusiastically embraced the Old Testament that they became Jews (but with traditions that originated in Christianity).  This reminds me so much of a memoir called A Song of Longing by an anthropologist Kay Kaufman Shelemay.  She was a Jewish American doing research in Ethiopia that had some bearing on Jews there.  She fell in love and married an Ethiopian in the seventies just after Hailie Selassie was murdered and the political situation seriously deteriorated there.

    The two other conflicts over doctrine had even more far-reaching consequences.  After Jesuit involvement and banishment questions about the nature of Christ resurfaced.  Unionists held the Alexandrian position that Christ’s human nature had become perfect through union (or tewahdo) with the divine.  Unctionists on the other hand (and this included Ewostathians), believed that unction or K’ibat of the Holy Spirit acted to combine the two natures of Christ.  Monks of Debre Lbanos argued that Christ had been born three times: in eternity, in Mary’s womb (through an anointing of the Holy Spirit) and physically, but without original sin.

    Much of what I am learning has to do with the power of myths about Ethiopia (these continue to influence me even though I know where many have arisen from).  In twelfth century Europe a myth circulated about a wealthy country ruled by a priest-king who vanquished infidel Persians (14).  Prester John’s kingdom full of exotic people and animals was supposed to be a peaceful and united nation, beyond Europe and yet surrounded by Islam.  My myth is of an distant, unconnected Ethiopia which consequently gives us a different picture of Christianity which would in turn allow us to understand what Christianity should be.  In actuality, Ethiopia is special precisely because it has been involved in the world, because it has been open to being influenced by the world.  Pedro Paez a Spanish Jesuit brought the Roman Catholic church to Ethiopia.  His success could ultimately have resulted in a radical change in the religious life of Ethiopia.  In 1612 Susneyos even converted to Catholicism but the next Jesuit’s authoritarianism was resented and politically destructive to the national religion.  Ethiopia was also influenced artistically by renaissance painting.  I am curious if this had an effect on the distinctive Ethiopian iconography.

    Ahmad “Gran” (the Left-Handed, 1506-1543) was an influential Muslim leader who had great success in wars against Ethiopia / Abyssinia.  The Empire appealed to Portugal for help and they sent 400 musketeers who tipped the balance of power in favor of the Christian north.  Gran then called in the Ottoman Empire.  Foreign weapons then until now were decisive for leaders attempting to maintain or extend their power in Ethiopia.  This connection to the rest of the world brought other changes.

    The overnight flight was not too much of a disaster.  Our children keep going on and have a wonderful spirit of adventure.  Heidi and I wore those neck rolls that remind me of the cones that they put on dogs to prevent them from licking themselves after some surgery.  We’re watching a beautiful sunset through the airport windows, even though relatively speaking for us the sun only just rose.

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