As Jesus Christ has said: "Where two or three are gathered together
in my name, there I am in the midst of them." lt is therefore Our
expressed hope that these words will be realized in their full significance
in this great assembly.
We are happy to be present in this famous City of Berlin where Christian
leaders are assembled to consider ways and means of spreading Our Christian
Faith in the world. We thank Mr. Billy Graham for inviting Us to address this
meeting. The propagation of the Christian Faith among nations has become a
task of paramount importance in this age as is evidenced by this great
assembly of Christian leaders.
As you all know, it is centuries past since Our country, Ethiopia, accepted
the Gospel of Christ. We learn from the Holy Scriptures that the first
Ethiopian who confessed faith in Jesus Christ was baptised only a few months
after the death and resurrection of Our Lord. From then on Christianity
spread steadily among the Ethiopian people and became the religion of the
Ethiopians in the Fourth Century. It is a matter of pride for Us, a special
cause for thankfulness to Almighty God, when We recall that the Christian
Faith was introduced to Our people by the Imperial Court and through the
instrumentality of the then reigning Monarch.
Ethiopian history testifies that our ancestors, who rose after the first Christian
Emperors, were men and women who had great zeal and keenness for the Faith of
Christ and who did all in their power for its propagation among our people.
Many among them, like Emperor Caleb who lived in the Fifth Century and
Emperor Lalibela and his immediate successors who lived in the Twelfth
Century, have been canonized.
When the countries of the Middle East, North East Africa and Asia Minor,
where the Gospel was preached by the Apostles, were over run by and succumbed
under a power opposed to the Christian Faith, the sovereigns and people of
Ethiopia, firm in their deep love for the Faith of Christ and supplemented by
the nature of their native land, put up great struggles to preserve Ethiopia
as an island of Christianity. Deep is Our thankfulness to our God for this
grace. Numerous are our ancestors, who throughout the centuries consecrated
and sacrificed their lives on the battlefield that Ethiopia might survive
strong in her Christian Faith.
When, after all these worthy predecessors, We assumed the leadership of Our
people half a century ago, We became acutely aware of the magnitude of the
sacred trust and responsibility vouchsafed to Us to work for the glory of God
and the continued and lasting welfare of Our people. During the past 50 years
not only did We labour that Our people may lead a better life while on this
earth but We also did not spare Our energy and treasure to develop their
spiritual heritage, the value of which no human mind can assess.
We have laboured that the Holy Scriptures and the books left to Us by the
Church Fathers be multiplied by means of modem printing techniques and be
distributed to all not only in our modern language, but also in Geez, our
ancient language. Our Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which was cut off for centuries
from her fellow Christian Churches, has joined the World Council of Churches
and co-operates in the task of strengthening the Faith and bringing about
Church unity. We have helped and will continue to help the missionaries who
are sent from other lands to preach Gospel to those of Our people who have
not come to the knowledge of God's saving grace. As the unity of the Church
is of great concern to Us and, God willing, being hopeful that this sacred
objective might be achieved in our day and age, We were happy to have
convened two years ago a meeting of the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox
Churches in Our Capital City of Addis Ababa to deliberate on ways and means
of bringing about harmony and unity in the Church.
We refer to all these only to indicate that this age above all ages is a
period in history when it should be our prime duty to preach the Gospel of
Grace to all our fellow men and women. The love shown in Christ by our God to
mankind should constrain all of us who are followers and disciples of Christ
to do all in our power to see to it that the Message of Salvation is carried
to those of our fellows for whom Christ Our Saviour was sacrificed but who
have not had the benefit of hearing the good news.
Since nobody can interfere in the realm of God we should tolerate and live
side by side with those of other faiths. However, if the threat is posed we
shall not fail to resist with courage any such incursions. We wish to recall
here the spirit of tolerance shown by Our Lord Jesus Christ when He gave
forgiveness to all including those that crucified Him.
In these modern days, there are a multitude of things published in print and
broadcast by radio which captivate the human mind and spirit; many new ideas
are disseminated by the learned. Many wonderful appliances are produced to
make life more and more comfortable. The rich powers have passed on from
exploring and exploiting this earth and are vying with each other to explore
and conquer the moon and the planets. Knowledge is increasing in a bewildering
manner. All this is good, wonderful and praiseworthy. But what will be the
end of it all? It is Our firm belief that only what the Lord wills will be
done. We should be careful that the results thus achieved by mankind should
not meet with the fate of the Tower of Babel, the handwork of those people of
old which came to pieces in their hands. The Apostle Paul says: "The
wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" and "The Lord knoweth
the thoughts of the wise and they are vain." The reason for this is
because generally speaking man makes himself and his wisdom the beginning and
the end of his aim in life, and we are convinced that the end of this is
destruction and death.
Our Lord Jesus Christ says: "What has a man profited if he shall gain
the whole world and lose his own soul?" Why did the effort of those who
tried to build the Tower of Babel come to nothing? Was it not because they
tried to live apart from their Creator, and because, vaunting themselves in
their wisdom, they tried to build a tower whose top was to reach unto heaven
and thus make a name for themselves? It is Our conviction that all the
activities of the children of men which are not guided by the Spirit and
counsel of God will bear no lasting fruit, they will not be acceptable in the
sight of the Lord and will therefore come to nought as the Tower of Babel
came to nought.
It is for this reason that the Church of Christ, and especially Christian
leaders, have such an enormous responsibility. However wise or however mighty
a person may be, he is like a ship without a rudder if he is without God. A
rudderless ship is at the mercy of the waves and the wind, drifts wherever
they take it and if there arises a whirlwind it is smashed against the rocks
and becomes as if it has never existed. It is our firm belief that a soul
without Christ is bound to meet with no better fate.
Therefore 0! Christians, let us arise and, with the spiritual zeal and
earnestness which characterized the Apostles and early Christians, let us
labour to lead our brothers and sisters to Our Saviour Jesus, Who only can
give life in its fullest sense.
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