A lesson in religious devotion

MAY 9—A pilgrimage to understanding takes people out of their comfort zones and demands them to experience the situation of another. This can be very difficult for religious people who deeply believe that the ways we know are the only ones worth following. Not many Canadian Christians have attended a religious celebration to commemorate the birth of St. Mary. Even fewer have participated in the liturgies of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on that day. We did.

The venue was Lideta Mariam, a large church in Addis Ababa. Not only were we welcome to be there; we were treated like VIPs. We worked our way through large crowds to reserve seating in the front row.

And what did we see? Lots of colour and lots of religious devotion. We saw great numbers of people seeking the solace of the church. They came to confess sins and give praise to God. They came to be inspired and encouraged. They came to pray and to celebrate. They came to give tithes, and to seek blessing. They came to worship.

A highlight of the ceremony occurred when priests came out of the church carrying Tabot under brightly colored cloths. The Tabot are replicas of the tablets on which Moses presented the 10 Commandments. Every Ethiopian Orthodox Church keeps a set in the Holy of Holies, only bringing them out on special days. They are to Ethiopians what the Ark of the Covenant became to the Children of Israel — a representation of the glory and presence of God.

Amidst music and chanting, people surged forward to follow the Tabot. The crowd swelled as the procession continued. When it completed three trips around the church, a group of young religious students stepped forward to dance with great energy. With their prayer sticks they symbolically represented the Passion of Christ, and with their songs gave thanks to Mary for being the God-bearer.