Religious fathers carried across a wide-array of messages revolving around peace while giving benediction pertaining to the commemoration of the birth of the crucified lover of mankind, Jesus Christ.
According to Abune Mathias, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, there is no feeling of resentment among peace-loving and pious citizens of Ethiopia. Living with equality, harmony, peace, unity, among others, is the only option available for all Ethiopians at their disposal.
Ethiopians should have firm stand in ensuring peace, respecting human rights and seeing to equality of citizens in the length and breadth of the country. Likewise, the disturbance of peace is being witnessed in the country owing to the conspiracy of political forces.
Thus to set free Ethiopia out of the menace straight away, all political parties should stage discussion forums targeting at respecting human rights, creating national sentiment, keeping peace with a view to ensuring peace in the length and breadth of the country. He continued: “The youth should give their all for ensuring peace nationwide distancing themselves from provocative actions and becoming part of the solution to the cropping up of problem.
Moreover, they should refrain themselves from the negative influences of globalization and addiction and attach great importance to peace, development, national unity and considerateness. According to Abune Berhaneyesus, Ethiopian Catholic Church Cardinal, as human beings are created in the image of God, people should love one another given that loving God is bordering on loving human beings.
When we put this into effect, God loves us without a doubt. Above all, we should open our hearts for Jesus Christ and attach significance to the heavenly wealth. It is a well known fact that peace is a guarantee for spiritual as well as corporeal life. In the same way, the family of Catholics should teach at home the doctrine of love, unity, and respect rather than hatred, ethnicity and other related aspects.
In the effort the government is striving to ensure peace across the country, everybody should stand by the side of the government. Priest Yonas Yigezu, president of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus said, “When we commemorate the day, we should think about unity, love, mercy, peace, and togetherness. As God forgive our trespasses, we should also forgive those who trespass against us.
As He gave us himself, we should as well give mercy to one another. At this moment in time, Ethiopia is in a promising move. Therefore, everybody should give emphasis to the realization of the objective of the incumbent. It is crystal clear that the people of Ethiopia do need a fully-fledged development, democracy and prosperity.
Therefore, to make this dream become a reality, we should preempt to dos and focus on ways of building peace and national consensus. Christians do not have other options rather than being peaceful people. As Ethiopia is a country of the youth, they accelerate our move to the next chapter of development where we aspire to reach.
The youth should play an immense role in taking the country to the next level of chapter. Youth should guard the reform surfacing across the country as an apple of their eye. Pastor Tsadiku Abdo, Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia, for his part said, “When we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we should attach significance to peace.
It is the greatest of all things under the sun. Besides, the laity should know the fact that anything which results in chaos is a sin. The word ‘peace’ has been mentioned four hundred twenty nine times in the Holly Bible. The word is not simply written in the bible but to let congregators know the significance of peace.
The Ethiopian Herald, January 6/2019
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
