Local Rastafarian Visits Ethiopia
By Suelika N. Buchanan
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Ethiopian Priest by the St. Georges Cathedral
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(Basseterre; St. Kitts): Sankofa Maccabbee a local Rastafarian of St. Kitts has just recently returned from a spiritual trip to Ethiopia. Many of his beliefs refer to Ethiopia as the Earthly Zion.
He said that the purpose of traveling to Ethiopia was to find out the commonalities between the Rastafarian faith and the Orthodox Christian faith, being that of His Majesty Haile Selassie I, former Emperor of Ethiopia, who the Rastas refer to as ‘Christ’.
Sankofa visited several churches and ministries and found that the faith of the Ethiopian Christians was very unique as they gave up many of the old Hebrew laws and faith.
“Especially those that deal with sacrifices and going to the altar and remitting sin through shed blood, they gave up those negative ones the Father wanted us to give up and held on to the traditions,” he said.
Sankofa said that out of the 365 days per year, Ethiopian Christians would ‘fast’ for almost 200 days out of the year.
“Every Wednesdays and Fridays they fast, and they have the fasting days during the lent period, so even though they eat a lot of meat, you find them still slim, because they are not eating like how a lot of people in the west are eating,” he said.
“They have a structural eating process, where they eat at a certain time and with the fasting they can only have one meal after 12 p.m. on the fasting days, and during those days, they eat like Rasta,” he added.
Keeping the Passover days, which is the same period as lent, and keeping certain principles concerning sexual intercourse are also important to the Ethiopians. ~~Adz:Right~~
There are certain days that they don’t go unto their women, and if one does so, according to their customs they will not go into a Church or particular Monastery.
“So I find that the Ethiopian hold the Hebrew traditions and customs, with the salvation of Christ which is a common thing that a lot of Rastas do as well. We hold a lot of Hebrew customs,” he said.
“Western Christianity will try and make us feel like we have abandoned all the laws, but on the contrary because in Matthew the Christ himself said he didn’t come to take away one jack or turtle from the law he just came to fulfill it, so now with going to Ethiopia we ‘overstand’ what is going on, Christ didn’t take away the Law as some would say, he just came to fulfill it meaning make it clearer so we can understand,” Sankofa related.
Sankofa said that he spent most of his time in the Shoa Province and in areas such as Addis Ababa (capital of Ethiopia) and Shashamane, which are all in the southern part of Ethiopia.
“This is the area where the Rastas were given a land grant n 1955 for those who will come from the Western world, if they so desired, not just Rastas but still for anyone with African decent,” he said.
He described Ethiopia as a special place where Christians and Muslims live peacefully among each other and where some even inter-marry.
“I find the Ethiopian people to be very friendly, helping, and loving people,” he said.
“The women there, most of them cover themselves, with their long skirts and wrap their hair with turbans, but there are those that live in the city, Addis Ababa, who have adopted a more Western culture, because they have been exposed to that,” he noted.
He said that in certain areas in Addis Ababa the people there are ‘westernized’ in the way they dress and the food they eat.
Sankofa noted that the Christians and the majority of Ethiopians see Haile Selassie I as the father, son and Holy Spirit and that they all have love and respect for him.
From his visit to Ethiopia, Sankofa plans to help those that he can in Ethiopia. Although the country offers many great things it is still under developed.
“I think that is what his majesty was fighting for in Ethiopia, to be able to develop the country economically but at the same time, sustain their cultures, customs and history,” he said.
Sankofa said that he would like to stress the importance that even if a destruction happens in the Western world like in Montserrat, the people wouldn’t have to flee to Great Britain or other places but can trod home to the Earthly Zion.
“I want to teach that to I and I in the west that if any catastrophe was to happen in the western world which biblically we know will happen, I and I should go to the protected land,” Sankofa said.
“So I and I going to fight for a repatriation, whether or not the catastrophe happens, and the best place to go is to the land of I and I forefathers,” Sankofa said.
That is why he wants to help the people and try and help develop the country and he has organized with a medical doctor in Ethiopia where to send food packages and clothing along with the help of others for the doctor to distribute among the people.
He would also like to liaise with the Government in Ethiopia where they can possibly start establishing trading as the country is filled with lots of minerals, wheat and coffee.
“So our dream is as Marcus Garvey envisioned which is to have boats traveling to Africa regular, until the time comes where they’ll be taking people, as they would be taking goods and material,” he said.
“I and I need to help develop Africa materially, without a lot of destruction to the ozone, not with the same ideology as the western world presently but going over there to increase knowledge. Some Rastas went to build two schools and a Health centre already. So our purpose is to go and assist with the development of Africa and to establish a mutual corporation from I and I in the west and that in Africa,” he concluded.
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Sankofa pictured with one of the Lions at a Zoo
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Ethiopians and Rastas gather at a funeral for a Rastaman in Shashamane. Note Muslims and Christians in turbans which is an Ethiopian custom
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Photo of a Nyahbinghi Church
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Sankofa along with Nyahbinghi Elders. (L-R) Empress Baby I, Elder Rupert and Elder Congo Rocky
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Sankofa and Ethiopian Priest by the St. Georges Cathedral
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Thatch roof house which are found in many parts of Ethiopia made with mud and wood and grass. All Photos Provided.
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