‘Believers, protect your church’ Memeher Fantahun Wakie. Interview with Memeher Fantahun Wakie about the current affairs of the church. The glory of God comes from the East. “And behold, the glory of God of Israel came from the way of the east.”
The Bible mentions that the glorious Second Coming of Christ will appear in the East. “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.” (Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:11). Facing the East in prayer evokes the inner senses of the soul, which gives depth to our spiritual feelings to assure the quality of our prayer.
During the Orthodox baptismal rite, the baptized face westward to renounce Satan and all his evil thoughts and deeds. Again, the baptized return eastward and recite the Creed to confess their belief in Christ. The rite of turning from West to East symbolizes the baptized transformation from darkness to righteousness. (1Pet. 2:9-10). The Cross: the emblem of our salvation and Christian faith. It reminds us of the sufferings and death of our gracious and ever-loving Lord Jesus Christ. It is thus the sign of peace, deliverance, victory, and eternal hope of resurrection.
The symbol of the cross is omnipresent in Ethiopia, the island of Christianity, with a variety of shapes and rich symbolism. Some of the blessings it conveys for us are bodily health, spiritual grace, and divine protection from evil spirits. Hand Crosses: Carried by bishops and priests for blessing. The faithful often receive blessings by bowing their head and kissing the main body of the cross and then the tablet at the bottom.
The Ethiopic Hand Cross consists of the main body, the handle, and the tablet at the base. Remarkable to note is that there are also special kinds of hand crosses known as Pictorial or Icon Hand Crosses, which consist of devotional icons of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, St. Mary, the Angels, the Apostles, and Saints.
