Page 169 - Then Came the Glory

Witnesses with Power
this day, you can preach freely in this province. If anyone makes a move against you, let us know. We are at your side. We grant you places for graveyards, and to build churches. Be strong."
Officials sent copies of this signed resolution to all Peasant Associations, all other offices, and to whom it may concern. Though the saints rejoiced over the oppression and loss of goods, our delegates had escorts for their safety and the burned houses and lost money got refunded in full. On one reconstruction job, soldiers supervised the men rebuilding what they had destroyed.
Ethiopia has claimed for centuries to have the Ark of the Covenant hidden in a monastery cut out of rock in the hills (no proof). Worship in the Orthodox Church of a miniature ark, representing Moses and the law, has been
highly respected for many years. They often have a problem supplying churches with enough of the small, wood-carved replicas. (One district ordered forty-four arks to meet their needs). In the reign of Haile Selasse, they considered these little boxes so sacred one would be fined and imprisoned if he mentioned the arks are made of wood (according to the statutes of law}.
Traditionally, the Oromo worshiped the tree. They
reproached the Orthodox saying, "We worship the tree, which is alive; you worship the dry wood that has no life." When they decided to worship Jesus with the Apostolics they would say, "Take away your dry wood and leave us alone." Some of the Amharas worship a small pot called "Tsewa". They carried it from house to house, supposedly to
bring a blessing. One day, on the way to someone's house, the pot slipped, and broke into many pieces. A Moslem saw
it and said, "Look, the god of the Amhara is broken!" 155