I don’t push my faith on other people; as I noted in an open letter to all people of faith and those who don’t believe at all, I believe that the spiritual journeys most of us are traveling should be inward instead of trying to convert others. That said, going forward I’m going to publish my testimonies and spiritual reflections on Sundays not to convince but to open up and share my struggles and my hopes.
I’m doing so because I realize that focusing on all the ills of this world without offering hope will only lead to sorrows. Pushing back against hatred with anger will only multiply hate’s power; we must find the wherewithal to counteract evil with its inverse which is love. When we open up and share our stories, we can overcome divisions and connect with others who don’t look or think like us.
To this end, I was really struggling yesterday with the loss of my mom who passed away May 15th, 2020 from Covid-19. I woke up with a heavy heart and drove to a local Ethiopian church to pray for her and asked God to heal my hurting heart in the process.
As I was reflecting and praying, Isaiah 65:20 immediately came to mind. After I finished praying, I walked to my car, picked up a Bible and read the following scriptures:
“Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.”
Last week’s testimony cited the same scriptures except I focused on Isaiah 65:25 that talked about wolves and lambs laying next to one another. As I noted in this video, I believe that parable was referring to a day to come where wolves like politicians, Wall Street executives and multinational bankers will stop feasting on the lambs of humanity and instead will coexist with the bottom 99%.
The scripture above is just as profound because it speaks of a covenant that God has with His people, which is all of humanity because all of us are chosen people. Where injustice and suffering are proliferating throughout the world, a time will arrive where the lies that public serpents have been weaving to entangle humanity will be revealed. Through that revelation, our long awaited redemption will finally be manifested.
I write this with my mom in mind, she suffered for most of her life with debilitating depression but I know in my heart that her struggle here on earth led to eternal peace in Heaven. Through hardship arrives renewal; I know this from personal experience because five years ago I was homeless and now I am living in a house, married and have a son who is the light of our world. In the same way, the pains we have endured for the past 18 months, which I documented from a first hand perspective, will lead to restoration for all of us.
Though times are dark at this moment, I believe in my heart that the fires that are scalding humanity will give way and redemption will be made possible. #CovenantofRedemption Click To TweetThis video I’m sharing is one that I recorded to honor my mom Sara Shewangizaw where I talked about her journey and her struggles in a way that pays homage to her strength and resilience. I pray that the promises contained in Isaiah 65:20 arrive on our watch and that the wolves who prey on humanity be forgiven for their sins and instead lay down next to lambs. God bless you and your loved ones. May love win in the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ_D0TJxdMo&t=2s
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13
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