Page 40 - Then Came the Glory

Then Came the Glory
I have loved you.
Little by little, our first love began to diminish. We
doubted each other's sincerity, and suspicion grew unnoticed
among the brethren. Leaders in Addis Ababa began
questioning those in Awasa and other provinces. We put each other's motives under careful scrutiny, and soon division and
strife fractured our fellowship. The whole group acted the same as other unredeemed denominations. In the following
days, deprived of Apostolic love, we came together to
question ourselves. We even set days of fasting and prayer and experienced temporary and tentative joy afterward, but
never lasting Joy or true refreshing of our spirits.
During this time, I became a high school teacher in another province. I wimessed with all my might and started
a small chapel-like meeting. We had a thread-like, scanty, outward show of unity among our preachers, but the tares of doubts and suspicion remained. False laughter and false love
prevailed among believers with true love, the most important
thing, missing.
This situation brought tragedy: five disfellowshiped
preachers came to tell me about this new development and without seeking an explanation, I immediately took their side
and joined them in a concerted attack on the other group. From that time I led in bringing heavy accusations against innocent brothers and sisters and wounded many souls. I antagonized them wherever I met them and preached against them from many pulpits. If it had been possible, I would have swallowed them alive.
It is difficult for me to recount all that I said and did in my assault on the church. Since it will not edify the reader, allow me to hide my wrongs in the deep waters of the tears I shed when I came to myself. I wept for days and
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