Throwback Thursday: Christmas Greetings From His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I Emperor Of Ethiopia

 

 

 The African nation of Ethiopia is home to one of the oldest Christian
 communities in the world.  According to Voice of the Martyrs Ministries
 (Canada) the good news of the Gospel came to Ethiopia during the
 first century.  However, despite this nation's long association with
Christianity, many believers there are facing increasing persecution.

Image courtesy/VOM Canada

In southeastern Ethiopia, militant Islamic groups have been using the recent
 political unrest in the region as an opportunity to terrorize and attack Christians.
Many believers have been beaten or killed and their churches destroyed. 

Meanwhile, in the northern areas of Ethiopia, those whom identify themselves as
 Orthodox Christians are actively persecuting evangelical (Protestant) believers
 by tearing down their churches, and attacking their members, while
 denying them employment and even burial places.

  According to VOM, Christianity is protected by the government
in Ethiopia and yet the fighting continues between the different sects.

My prayer for this beleaguered African nation is for healing between the branches-
 professed believers at odds with one another because of doctrinal differences-and that
 they will forego the hatred and fear between them, and instead, embrace a spirit of 
love and mercy and forgiveness, along with a strong desire for peaceful co-existence.
 
 In these increasingly dark and uncertain times, I pray that my Ethiopian brothers and
  sisters in the Lord will remember and will take courage from the words of the psalmist:

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom." 
(Psalm 90:2)

and will choose to stand together in the battle against the forces of human and
 spiritual  wickedness seeking to conquer and destroy their nation.  Amen.

 

The following beautiful Christmas message was written to America 
by His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia.

Claimed to be a descendant of King Solomon of ancient Israel and the Queen
of Sheba,  he was known as "the Lion of Judah" denoting special qualities
  of strong leadership during his often tumultuous reign as the
 last Christian sovereign of Ethiopia. 
 

His Imperial Majesty
Haile Selassie
(1892-1975)

Emperor of Ethiopia

(1930-1974)

 

 

"To our Christian peoples in the Empire of Ethiopia, Christmas 
is a season of rejoicing, of the reunion of families and friends, 
and of the reaffirmation of our faith and remembrance of 
the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 It is also the season when our hearts especially go out in brotherhood
and greeting to our fellow Christians in whatever part of the world they
may be.  Our common faith in Christ, particularly at Christmas time,
calls for the spirit of goodwill among men, glory to God 
on high, and peace on earth.

 

We and our peoples have suffered grievously in the past, but we have
always relied on this simple principle of goodwill toward all men, be
they friend or foe, and we were given strength even during our darkest
days. We have sought always to remember that our Lord
 invites us as a father with the words:

 "Come to me, all ye who labour, and I will give you rest." 

 

He came to this world as a child and grew into the fullness of life
to die for our salvation. We would never forget the words of our Lord:

"If you had faith as a grain of mustard you could do all." 

 

We are happy to send to all our friends in America, and especially to
those many whose prayers and help have sustained us in tribulation
and in happiness, our heartfelt good wishes at this Christmas time,
in the love of Christ and the spirit of goodwill towards all men."

 

His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie I
Emperor of Ethiopia

 

 

 "Christmas Greetings From His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I 
Emperor of Ethiopia" taken from the book, 
"An American Annual Of Christmas Literature And Art"-Volume 23
(Copyright 1953)
Augsburg Publishing House Publishers
Minneapolis, Minnesota