Selam ena TEna lanchi yihun, Bogalech, Bogie!

I read your first entry with much delight. I must admit that it was a bit wrjubN (as you well put it). But, it was delightfully thought provoking. Yet, I don’t encourage you to be this "delightful" on a first date or there won’t be a second date. Just a thought.

Bogie, my real name is not Wond’aT’r. When I read your name, a recent Amharic music came to mind. Don’t know if you have heard it or not. It’s a duet; the female character in the song is Bogiye and the male Wond’aT’r. They exchange satirical and funny "love" gT’ms with one another. Try to find it; the lyrics would make you laugh.

Bogie, ihit alem, I empathize with you for the dismay and quagmire you are in, in terms of "organized religion, particularly of the Ethiopian variety." I used to feel the same way. Not only about religion but also ANYTHING of the "Ethiopian variety". From our politics on down to some of the nitty-gritty social structures such as Idi’r, I’qub … . I think our generation, the Dergue generation, is full of such dismay and uncertainty. I attribute most of if it on our early memory, introduction, teachings, experiences and more. You see, Bogie, history has placed our generation at the crossroads of time where ANYTHING Ethiopian was viewed with some type of revisionist, fundamentalist and "political correctness" paradigm. Thus, the beginning of this generation’s "original sin". Most times, such knowledge put us very far away from the truth. I am sure your statement, "…there have been qewTi times in my life, both due to personal mesenakls as well as to those challenging times we now refer to as the Dergue years…" reflect my sentiment above.

Bogie, I think, this Washint Generation, as one Seleda contributor labeled us, needs to stop, look around, sift through the rubble and the rubbish and hold on to some truth. My hope is this generation won’t be a generation that just blows the Washint as it knows it by ear but knows how to read and appreciate the musical notes of truth.

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Here is the disclaimer: Since, I am too ignorant of other religions and your entry takes me to Christianity, I am relieved that we are primarily basing our exchanges on our bewilderment and knowledge on the spirituality of Christianity:

I am glad to know you believe in God, however "loosely". Just for the record I do, too (say, WOW!). I also believe in organized religion (say, WHAT?). I belong to and am a semi-devout Orthodox Christian. I am semi-devout not because the faith lacks anything but I do. Thus, my point of view will be pretty Orthodox by my own right. I am taught to believe and accept that the deity is a HE. But, with very uncanny feminine attributes. Of course, if Egziabhaer didn’t have a feminine attribute, how can He create such a beautiful, sophisticated, loving, morally superior creature called woman? (I am not flattering you, Bogie, I truly believe women are much more Human than men in a lot of aspects).

Here is a wisdom from the Orthodox Church you could find solace in about the seriousness of the deity being a She. Some of the most beautiful churches in all Africa are found in Ethiopia. One of those is, Qidst Sellassie, the one next to the bete meng’st, near Arat Kilo. Now look at its name,Qidst Sellassie. I know you know Sellassie (Ab, Wol’d, Menfes Kidus, One Egziabhaer). They are always referred to as a HE. But, what is with the Qidst? You and I know there is no boy, goremsa, man ever-named Qidst. Qidus, yes! But never Qidst. Our Christian fathers, from Sts. Peter/Paul to our K’ristna Abat, knew something better. They combined the female/male together. No deity can be a true deity without having the nature of both sexes. They have known long ago there is no civilization with the absence of either one.

Another example is the word "born again" or rebirth through baptism. Christians say they are "born again" or have been given a second birth be’timqet by our Creator. Hence, the God I worship is capable of giving spiritual birth to His spiritual children. Wouldn’t that show that He has the Nature of what is of a woman, giving birth? If He didn’t have womanly Nature, there wouldn’t have been words and terms such as huleteNa Meweled.

But, when we were taught about Egziabhaer, early in our primal days or even now, our Kah’ns, Wengelawi, pastor, Bah’tawi never emphasized the nature and characteristics of Egziabhaer most often attributed to women. The tender care, unconditional love, tears, sweat, labor and other womanly qualities, a true God ought to possess for His creatures, as mothers have for their children. I honestly believe the true nature of FeTari is most reflected through women than men. (Please disregard my generalization; it’s not based on science; it’s based on senses.) Only He knows well what it means to be a woman; that’s why He created you. Instead, as you mentioned, our early "religious influences insisted … that God was vengeful and mean, and loved to see [us] begging for mercy as [we] trembled with fear." Not my God, either, Bogie. The God I came to appreciate and worship is "…all loving and all forgiving, there to hold and comfort rather than to punish and scare." Yet, also in possession of punitive (for a lack of better word) qualities; just like we humans.

Regarding people back home: I was out there a couple of years ago and I can’t agree with you more. Many folks are into religion, drinking and, of course, sex. Most seemed to me that they are equally into all of these contrasting realities. What puzzles me is, although more people go to church, mosque, spiritual adviser of sorts, more people die of AIDS and are trapped in unbecoming life-styles. I wonder where the "deficiency" is; is it the message from our spiritual adobes (churches, mosques and other forms) or the people?

Your statement "…[I] held on to my sanity by the merest spider web of a thread only because of the solace I found in prayer. [w]hat held me in good stead was handing over my woes to an unseen but loving God…" touched me so much. Only if I could count how many times I felt what you illustrated. So Human, so true is your honesty! I think one aspect of spirituality is that trust, reliance and faith in the things unseen.

Bogie, I hope I didn’t bore you to death with my version of WrjibN. I trust once we have set our perimeter in our first entries, things will not be heavy loaded and hope will lighten up in the next entries. I promise to share with you a very unforgettable spiritual experience I had when I was in junior high school in my next entry.

Selam Yibzal’sh!

Truly,

Wond’aT’r