Metehara

Metehara Mekane Yesus

Metehara Mulu Wongel Quter 2

Merti

Let's visit lake Basaqaa

Let's talk to the natives.

Can we have an overnight prayer?

“Will you lead us, Naol?”

I am tired. Can't we just rest for the night?

“Okay then let me escort you to the guest house.”

How about you, Sami? Where are you going to sleep?

“I am going to sleep inside the church.”

But it's very cold.

“Don't worry. I am used to it.”

Okay in that case, I will also sleep with you in the church.”

“Are you sure, Naol?”

Yes, I am. Let's have fun. Let's sing songs. We can conquer the cold.

“And I have many jokes for the night.”

Stop, Sami. I have already started giggling.

“Scoop over also you have taken all the blanket.”

You are skinny. You won't take much space.

“Let's pray before we sleep.”

Should we face the altar?

“Shut up! Don't disturb me.”

Hahaha

@Born_Crucified

Hello friends,

Let's send Mekdes as a missionary to Northern Ethiopia and Horn of Africa!

I have been approached by a mission organization to help a young Ethiopian missionary become a missionary somewhere in the Northern Ethiopia and Horn of Africa. However, she is in short of few tens of thousands Ethiopian birr in order to realize her dream.

Can we help her, please? I hope to see your contributions as always.

Contact me for the details @Born_Crucified

Blessings

Holding hands

I miss holding hands.
Not the usual type.
And certainly not in romance.
I want to hold your hands.
Untill our palms are covered with sweat.
And our sweat floods to the ground.
But we don't see them.
For our eyes are closed.
We don't turn to each other.
For our heads are bowed down.
And our mouths praying in tongues.

Born Crucified Poetry

@Born_Crucified

Distracted again.

I have held a hand now.
A stranger's hand.
I don't remember her look.
But her hand is so soft.
It looks as if she's never done house chores.
But I am praying.
Praying in tongues.
In a congregation.
Forgive me, Lord.
For I have been distracted from my prayer.
By this beautiful creature.
Whose hand I have held.
Thanks to the preacher who told us to hold hands.
My head is bowed.
I am praying to Jesus.
But I felt a strange thing on her finger.
What is that?
Is that a ring?
Shut up and pray.
I think it's a ring.
She must be married.
Is she really married?
Why do I care?
Wait, on which finger is the ring?
I started to count her fingers.
Just like the mercy of God
Her fingers seemed countless.
How many fingers does she have?
It's a ring.
On the ring finger.
It's sad.
She's married.
Oh wait, on which hand did I feel the ring?
Wait, which hand am I holding, right or left?
It is confusing.
Why do I care?
But I should be praying.
Oh forgive me, Lord.
For I have been distracted again
By this beautiful creature.
Whose face I haven't seen yet.
Whose hand I am holding.


@Born_Crucified

“It's been a long day without you ...”

It was a year ago that I learned the murder of my very friend Samson Ersido. Since then my life has not been the same. The world has not been the same.

He touched many lives in his brief stay. He was loved by all. He loved everyone. Samiye was a unique human being. Read my eulogy here.

Ever since I learned his death, it has been my prayer to God to let me be the reason to help prevent one more death of the innocent in my country. If that means I join politics, let it be. If that means I have to sacrifice my life for others, let it be.

Even more, Sami's death became a reason for me to work towards encouraging young ministers who work and reside in the rural setting in Ethiopia. I know and have met many young ministers like Sami who, as Ruth chose to stick with Naomi, chose to stick with the rural community. There are more Sami's than one expects.

Will that make you smile, Samiye?

May you rest in power.

@Born_Crucified

#Kwibuka30

30th Anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi

While visiting the genocide memorial, a friend said, “it won't be far until we see a museum for the memorial of the genocide we are witnessing in Ethiopia.”

But the difference is we already have our own museums everywhere. From Annole to ሰማዕታት ሀውልት in Mekelle and Bahir Dar - we already have enough museums and monuments.

They should have been enough.

They are not.

The leaders launch the war.

We, the people, commit genocide.

The next generation builds the museums.

And the next Prime Minister inaugurates it.

And the cycle continues, until we, the people, say NO!

@Born_Crucified

I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me? Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love. I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer. May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified. May they suddenly turn back in shame.

Psalms 6:3-4, 6-10 NLT

@Born_Crucified

One of the most frustrating answers given by Jesus was his response to the disciples' question, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said something like, "You don't need to know the time." And then continued with "You will be my witnesses when the Spirit descends." Why am I saying that this conversation is frustrating to the disciples? Because it does not answer the question at hand.

It was a nationalistic question. It's the same question that created the chaos in the Middle East for the past two millennia. The Arabs, the Ottoman Turks, the Crusaders, and the Syrians and all are part of this an unanswered question. And yet, Jesus dismissed this question. He didn't answer it.

Is this supposed to be a lesson for all nationalistic questions asking for the return of the glorious day in their historical map? "Ethiopia shall rise again!" "Make America Great Again!" "Jesus will not come before Ethiopia is Blessed!" Does it mean Jesus has not guaranteed the good old days would come back?

Maybe he hasn't.

In my generation some still hope a glorious past.

Some hope for "Dertogada."
Others for "Wakanda."
Many others for "Sirna Gadaa".

All the hypes about Africa, Ethiopia or any other nation - as if they are destined to be God's chosen.

And the laypersons gather in their congregations to ask God "When are you going to restore Ethiopia back?" only to be met with frustration. Jesus dismisses such nationalistic questions.

In return, this frustrating answer is followed by something radical, cross cultural and universal mandate. "But you will receive power .... you will be my witnesses ... to the ends of the earth."

No promise for Wakanda.
Nor to Dertogada.
Nor to Sirna Gadaa.

Just love your neighbor - to the ends of the earth.

Case closed.

@Born_Crucified

July 2021...

My phone rung. Didn't see it first time. It kept ringing again and again.

It was my mom.

Me: Hello mom how are you?

Mom: (Crying) I am not fine, Naol.

Me: What happened? What is going on?

Mom: You don't really think about me, Naol!

Me: What? How? What happened?

Mom: (Crying) My colleagues at my workplace told me you wrote another article against the government. Why do you keep doing this? Why? Why don't you think about your family?

Me: Wait, who told you about this? It's not that much political and I wrote it for an Australian journal. Oh my God!

Mom: Please don't do it. Think about me, and your siblings. Stop writing anything.

Me: Ok. I will not write anything from now on. I am sorry. I don't want you to cry. Please stop crying.

Mom: Okay I will. Promise me you won't write anything.

Me: I promise. I want to see you smile and not cry.

-------

Every society deserves courageous children and every mother deserves to smile. When a society lacks courageous men, mothers will continue to cry losing children after children by merciless butchers. When a society fights for the smile and happiness of its mothers, courageous men and women wipe the tears away from their mothers.

Happy mothers day to all the mothers of those fighting for justice in Ethiopia and beyond.

@Born_Crucified

“አንተ ፍቅር ነህና ልትጠላኝ አቃተህ...”

This line is taken from Addis Worku's song ‘የእግዚአብሔር በግ የሆንከው’. This is the song that captured my heart in the morning.

As we all know most of Addisu's songs are themed around the cross, crucifixion, and blood of Jesus all in contrast to the present day life and the world. His song ‘የእግዚአብሔር በግ የሆንከው’ could be one of the best examples for this.

“አንተ ፍቅር ነህና ልትጠላኝ አቃተህ...”, the line that captured my heart today, could be translated as “You couldn't hate me for You are love in Your nature..” Addisu connects the love of God to His ontology. Nature drives essence. For God is love, He can love and He cannot hate us. This is a profound theology in itself but then I don't want to drag you there in this beautiful Monday morning.

God fails to hate you and me, not because of anything but because He is love in His nature. How deeply relieving is that?! Well, I know you know have been told a lot about grace - as if God's graciousness started at the day of Pentecost , as if God started to love you after the death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is deeply misleading and incorrect.

God loved us before the foundation of the world. It's this love that drove Christ to come and die for us in an exemplary manner. God didn't begin to love humanity two thousand years ago. No, He has been love from His own nature since the begining of time if there is anything as such.

When life overwhelms us and some Mondays become tough to stay motivated in our job or when we are so motivated but yet we are unemployed on Mondays like this, let's remember we are loved. God loves us in spite of our feelings. His love is enshrined in His own nature.

And love ultimatum was displayed when Jesus took the cross and how aggressively yet selflessly Godhead has been in love with His fallen creatures. He failed to hate us for He is love in His nature.

Addisu sums it like this up for our Monday:

አንተ ፍቅር ነህና ልትጠላኝ አቃተህ
ነፍሴን ከእሳት አወጣህ እራስህን ጐድተህ
የእኔ የሆነ ምን አለኝ እራሴም የአንተው ነኝ
ስለዚህ ጌታዬ ሆይ ደጋግመህ ለውጠኝ

የእግዚአብሔር በግ የሆንከው
ልቤን በፍቅርህ ያበስከው
ጓዴ ኢየሱስ እስቲ ና
የማዋይህ አለኝና (2x)

Have a blessed Monday 😊

@Born_Crucified

Hi everyone!!!
I have been in Rwanda for almost three months now. I think I have mentioned in one or two writings.
What we are doing here is basically building startups that can be scalable to Africa.
Helen and I build this: using motorcycles to deliver prehospital emergency healthcare.
We went through lots of things and had to learn a lot of new things to come up with this amd find a way around it.

We are now doing validation.

Please take a look at our vision with the link below and join our waitlist.

https://ambucycle-app.firebaseapp.com

Or you can just simply sign up to our waitlist here.

Please forward to family and friends
@coffeeandscribblings

There is an important lie behind every person's outrage, particularly the public display of outrage. We get mad and sad publicly and display it in person or on social media but not to the correct level.

What I came to realize is that our outrages are not as strong as they should be. We are not really mad when we say we are mad. Let me give you an example. The other day I woke up and saw that William Ruto, the president of the Republic of Kenya, has been having a bromance with President Joe Biden and I was envious. For once I wasn't happy with the fact that Kenya has replaced Ethiopia as United States' beloved bondservant and maid in the East Africa. I was furious and mad. But then how did I publicly display my outrage? I just tweeted “Kenya has become the new Ethiopia and Ethiopia has become the new Eritrea.” That's all. Does this communicate the right amount of frustration and መብሸቅ I had that day? I don't think so.

This is also true for the politicians as well. They መብሸቅ as much or more than the layman but then they cannot display that level of frustration publicly. They run out of words too soon. The public square is not for መብሸቅ as much as it is for መበሻሸቅ. We are not really outraged about our status as much as we tease one another.

The climax of the public outrage is defined in terms of violence. Not because words have shown limits but then we don't really know how to use words to display our public frustration. Hence, public frustrations end up being the reason for war. The public square is become an arena for civil war. War is how show off our public discontent of the system - by killing one another. We have not defined our terms of disagreement and disappointment rather we just use lebels such as “ጨቋኝ” “ባለጊዜ” to just close the scene in bloodshed.

Let me not complain more on Monday morning. But then I have one wish - to be outraged properly and to the maximum and be able to show it without being violent. Use as many characters, fonts and languages to show how outraged we are and close the scene with words. When we sit with words and words only, we are well armed that the most armed ones in the world. Just as the Greeks understood the Logos to be a powerful invincible tool behind the universe, words, and not arms, have built and crashed civilization.

May it be a week of proper outrage.

Have a blessed Monday 😊

@Born_Crucified

I am uncertain why Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is regressing, but I know that attending university is crucial for maintaining a civilized society. Education is the cornerstone of civilization. A society that discourages education also discourages critical thinking and reasoning.

Belittling the role of education by politicians is not a new phenomenon. In February 2020, during a fundraising event for the newly formed Prosperity Party, Abiy Ahmed criticized intellectuals, claiming they merely study businessmen's success and publish their findings without real impact. He downplayed the contributions of intellectuals to society. Modern leaders often do not prioritize education.

Yes, it is possible to succeed without attending university. However, universities play a vital role in fostering critical thinkers and thought leaders. Politicians fear critical thinkers the most because they challenge autocratic arguments, provoke elites, and discomfort dictators. Critical thinkers read, research, analyze problems, and propose solutions.

I encourage the younger generation to become critical thinkers and not be misled by politicians and a few business elites who claim to have found a path to success after dropping out of college. They do not provide a formula for success but rather a recipe for failure. Friends, stay in university. Continue to explore, question, and learn.

@Born_Crucified

Yesterday we heard a news that the Ethiopian government is passing a bill granting the Immigration and Citizenship Authority to monitor who is leaving the country. If ratified, right at the airport, just before your departure, you could be confronted by immigration officers and will be told that you cannot leave the country for some reason. In my opinion this is the most Eritrean move Ethiopia has ever taken. We are rapidly developing and growing to become like Eritrea, the most democratized and prosperous nation in East Africa.

Trolls aside, this reminds me of another anthropological issue, that I was thinking about sometime ago. Few years ago I heard someone speaking to an audience in a seminar, “70% of Ethiopians die in the village they were born.” I am not sure how correct the figure is but I wouldn't have said it otherwise either. People are not mobile in terms of permanent residence across Ethiopia. In a land compromising 87 ethnolinguistic groups administering their land, most people live and die in their own back yard. Not surprising at all. Even before the government locked us, we have locked ourselves.

Also let's not jump into judgment. It's a survival instinct for human beings to be confined to a certain geographical space. We feel secured in that very space. Hence, rather than moving around across a ‘foreign’ land, we remain collectively protecting their village.

It is in light of this survival instinct that I assess the current decision by the government to monitor who is moving where. Aassume a country where people are prohibited from moving across the land. A country where you cannot travel across the spaces or out of the space. You cannot travel in the country or out of the country. People live in their spaces happily. Will they?

It's a question we all should answer. Are we satisfied to be limited to a certain place or do we rebel to move around? Should the government control our movement or do we refuse to be entangled? Well, our primitive survival instinct prefers home and locked up while our rebellious post-modern side prefers to consume all the available spaces on earth.

The choice is ours.

@Born_Crucified

One day at a time.

(I swear I'm not complaining)

I usually don't like to think much after a 48-hour work shift. My mind cannot process much. If you try to talk to me, I will respond, but I know (and you might too) that I'm replying with beautifully scripted nonsense. Just a warning: what I'm writing could be a good example of this. Well, 48 hours of duty is exhausting—something only health professionals and a few others are "gifted" to endure.

Let's be honest, life before and after the 48-hour shift remains the same. You may understand this well if you're a health professional, factory worker, or soldier on such a duty. Nothing really changes. Does it? I have felt the same after a weekend shift. What has changed in the world? What have I missed? Not much. Maybe the only thing worthy of attention has been the fact that the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission has been an imperfect tool to stage a perfect drama among the ruling elites. By the end of the meeting, Abiy and Getachew held hands (much like they used to before the war). Love prevailed (isn't it already June?!). Impressive.

But I am not complaining, friends. I am just appreciating how fast time travels during the 48 hours I am on duty, trying to treat the pediatric patients in the hospital where I work. Life moves fast. News travels even faster these days. It makes me feel like 48 hours are 2 or 3 years.

The craziest part is that the world returns to where it was. There isn't really anything new under the sun. People love. People die. People hate. People help. Those who have been warring will resolve it in the end, even if it costs a million innocent lives. No one gets stuck in the past. Life continues. There's no difference in the world before and after my 48-hour duty, much like there hasn't been any difference between 2018 and 2024 in the state of the country.

Let me close with this: in this fast-moving time and news cycle, I just wish to live one day at a time. I wish to slow down time to let my soul feel what it means to live in the present—the pain and the joy, the loss and all the craziness. Slowly. Between the handshakes, let me not rush. Between the wars, let me not go too quickly. Taste the bitterness and beauty of life today, each moment. "One day at a time, sweet Jesus," as the song goes.

“One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking of You
Just give me the strength to do every day
What I have to do.”

Have a blessed Monday. 😊

@Born_Crucified

When Sin Comes.

Sometimes, you don't go to sin. It just comes. When it comes, it's called a mistake. When you go to it, it's still called a mistake. When you meet it midway, it's called a mistake.

When it chases you but you run, it's called victory. When you chase it but then suddenly realize that chasing sin is a sin and decide to stop, it's still called a victory. When you refuse to welcome it midway, it's called a victory.

When you lose the battle to sin, it's called failure. When you deny the fact that you lost a battle to sin, it's called failure. When sin triumphs over you and builds its nest on your ground, it's called failure.

When you rise from the ashes and ask God for forgiveness for your sins, it's called mercy. When you are given a chance to return to God after realizing your mistake, it's called mercy. When you give up old habits and decide to return to Jesus, it's called mercy.

No matter your mistake, victory is still possible. No matter your failure, mercy is granted.

Have a blessed Monday. 😊

@Born_Crucified

When songs find the right (wrong) person.

One of the most embarrassing and creepiest things I did this year was singing personalized songs to people and sending them via inbox. Let me tell you about it.

I bought a guitar in March (Yes, I did), hoping to spend my time writing and singing songs (Yes, I do). I was inspired by Dr. Victor Fredlund, a family physician from South Africa whom I met last year in Tanzania. He carried his guitar everywhere he went and sang with a powerful voice. You could feel the energy of his voice even from 100 meters away. Of all his songs, the one I love most is:

"Wow! wow! what a heart!
Wow! wow! what a mind!
Where, where can I start
To be like you!"

God bless Dr. Fredlund's heart!

Back to my story: after buying the guitar, I started to learn from YouTube, but it was not an easy task. I struggled to master a few chords and always found it difficult. I was waiting for the right moment. After a grueling 48-hour call with an additional 12 hours, a song was born in me during a conversation with Lense, a beautiful young lady who has been a blessing in my life. That Monday, I wrote a beautiful song for her. Yes, I did. The song mentioned her name and blessed her life. It's a song to bless someone you love and adore.

The next day, I sang this song to Fenan, Bonney, and their beautiful baby boy (should I tell you his name? lol). I replaced Lense’s name with theirs. They loved the song. That same night, I sang it to a friend in Ethiopia with whom I had been talking for a couple of months. That week, I sang the same song to two friends and sent the recordings via inbox. They were both blessed and comforted by it. They were going through tough times, as was I.

But then I did something even creepier. I sent the song to another lady (whose name I won't mention) in her inbox. I know it's the creepiest thing to do to someone you don't know well. For a moment, I felt I was doing God's work by comforting people with my songs, but clearly, my frontal cortex wasn't functioning well that day. The lady responded with "Thank you!" and then, after a few conversations, disappeared for good. I was confused and didn't pursue it further.

Months later, I learned from another friend that she disappeared because my approach was incredibly creepy. What did I do? I sang a song that blessed her—before we even got to know each other. You don't do that. No one does that. You have to know a person before blessing them.

What if my intention was to get to know her by making her like me because I can play the guitar? Well, perhaps it was the wrong approach, not the wrong intention. The mistake was in the approach. It was creepy.

Moreover, the song has an owner. It was sung to Lense. It belongs to her. Yes, many people could sing it, but the song belongs to Lense. She earned it. She prayed for me and with me in difficult times, and I couldn’t repay her presence with anything other than a song for her.

An embarrassing moment gave me a lesson that songs are beautiful when they find the right person.

@Born_Crucified

1. Love your neighbor as yourself.

2. Love yourself.

3. You are loved.

In case you forget, the correct order is 3 2 1.

Any attempt to recreate 1 without understanding 3 and 2 will result in drama filled life, hypocrisy and ultimately fatigue.

@Born_Crucified

Does the Bible really teach us to love ourselves?

A friend responded to my post yesterday, saying that the Bible nowhere teaches us to love ourselves. I felt this would be a good topic to discuss. Does the Bible teach us to love ourselves?

The short answer is yes, it does. However, the topic warrants a deeper exploration. To begin with, there are verses that might seem to promote self-denial. For instance, Jesus says, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23, NIV). Verses like these can be found throughout the New Testament, particularly in Christ's teachings. However, these verses should not be understood to mean that we must hate ourselves in a holistic and literal sense.

The Bible does teach us to love ourselves, but the key lies in understanding what loving oneself truly means. Loving oneself is about being a good steward of oneself, looking after God's creation. This includes taking care of our bodies, minds, and spirits. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV), Paul writes, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies."

Loving oneself also means understanding, accepting, and appreciating whatever God has given us, including our physical appearance and inner self. Psalm 139:14 (NIV) says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." This verse reminds us that we are created in God's image and are valuable in His sight.

Moreover, loving ourselves means seeing God's image in us and not waiting for others to validate our worth. Genesis 1:27 (NIV) tells us, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Recognizing that we are made in God's image helps us understand our inherent worth and encourages us to love ourselves as God loves us.

In conclusion, the Bible does teach us to love ourselves, but it frames this love within the context of God's creation and stewardship. By taking care of ourselves, appreciating God's handiwork, and recognizing His image in us, we fulfill the biblical mandate to love ourselves. This self-love is not about selfishness or vanity, but about honoring God through the way we treat and regard ourselves.

@Born_Crucified

‘My fellow Oromos, let’s admit it, we are in darkness. With bold remark, here I put it: both the jungle and Arat Kilo are the climax of our darkness. In my humble opinion, if there is hope for Oromia, it will not come from either of the places. Oromia’s hope exists in the wide table where those in prison, those in the jungle and those in Arat kilo could take part for discussion and dialogue. May universities cry out, schools shout aloud, Churches, Mosques and Galmaa’s turn into protest places until all parties sit down for talk to bring down the darkness! Until jungles and thrones meet at coffee table, may we not stop nagging! May we not stop protesting!’

https://horntheology.wordpress.com/2022/06/27/eessa-jirtu-why-does-it-matter-today-a-theological-reflection/

@Born_Crucified