MAY 4—The faces of a thousand angels peer from the ceiling of the Debre Birhan Selassie church. As we meditated inside the sanctuary of the oldest church in Ethiopia, we sensed the eyes of the heavens upon our souls. We felt the nearness of the spiritual world that the activities of daily living so often obscure. In this place, the presence of both God and devil — good and evil — were deeply evident.
The church itself is fascinating. It’s a rectangular stone construction modeled after ancient King Solomon’s temple and originally conceived as a resting place for the Ark of the Covenant (long story). Stone walls surround the church. The inner one features 12 towers representing the apostles, and a main gate honouring Jesus Christ.
Impure people (see the Old Testament book of Leviticus for a good idea of what impure means) are welcome only in the outer area. A separate building on the compound is for infant baptism. A woman who gives childbirth is still impure until the baby is baptized.
The interior of the church is filled with paintings depicting both biblical and extra-biblical scenes. One currently controversial painting tucked quietly in a dark corner would likely provoke a hate crimes trial in North America. It shows the prophet Mohammed on a camel being led by the devil.
There may be angels on the ceiling, but the devil is in the details.
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