Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.

(Psalm 85:7)

Hi,

Today I am sorry, I am probably going to have to take everything I said in last week’s letter back!

On Friday I made an appointment that my family have been nagging me to do for ages….I made an appointment for a hearing test 😐

I’ve been avoiding this for months….no, years….actually, probably decades. I failed a hearing test the same day as I chose my wedding dress and I’ve been married 24 years this year…so yes, decades.

Well, I went and had my ears tested, failed dramatically and now need hearing aids. It does explain a lot….why I have to lip read, why I am really struggling now everyone is wearing face masks, why I think my teenagers are really polite and aren’t talking behind my back 😊 and why I don’t think Berwyn’s Rastafari Groundation group is too loud!!

But I am NOT happy about this! Not happy at all! I didn’t want hearing aids til I was at least 80 years old and now I am picking them up on Tuesday.

My spare teenagers and I have developed a ‘How to Know If You Are A Grown-Up’ test.

I had taken them to the shop one Friday after school to buy a ‘survived another week in school’ treat. They are allowed £1 each and there is always one of them that makes the poor shopkeeper count out 100 penny sweets.

One of the boys had bought a chocolate bar. He offered me a bite of it and was really shocked when I said no. He asked whether I liked chocolate and couldn’t understand it when I said I had to be in the mood for chocolate…..and then I realised I had passed one of my own milestones….

When I was about 12 years old and I was at guide camp (it’s what counts as fun on a remote Welsh hillside) me and my friends were sat up in our sleeping bags at about 6.30 in the morning eating chocolate when the guide leaders came in. They couldn’t believe that we were eating chocolate at that time of the morning, discussed between themselves how they couldn’t imagine eating chocolate before lunch…..and I decided then that that must be what being a grown up was like. I would know that I was grown up if there was a time of the day when I thought that I couldn’t possibly eat chocolate.

So, I told this to my spare teenagers and we set about thinking of a list of all the things that grown ups don’t do….

Grown ups don’t cover their food in ketchup.

Grown ups don’t drink fizzy drinks and if they do, they definitely don’t blow bubbles in them with their straw (my son who was 6 at the time, and I nearly got thrown out of a cafe because one of us, I’m not saying which one of us 😳, was blowing bubbles in their drink)

Grown ups wear matching pairs of socks.

Grown ups know where they are going, on the map and in life.

And this one is mine….I will know I’m grown up when I remember to open the bathroom door before I switch the light off!…..I know, it’s just me probably, but the amount of times I’ve been left stumbling around the bathroom, in the dark, trying to find the door handle…..yes, it is just me, isn’t it?!

Anyway, the problem I have now is that I still can’t remember the bathroom light/door handle thing…but now I’m going to end up with a set of hearing aids that make me look 80 years old. Aaaaand! I’m going to suddenly realise that you all are WAY too loud and then the last newsletter’s justification as to why it’s a good thing to be loud is going to be just plain wrong…..all in all, not a good week 😊

*

Kebra Negast

34. How the young man arrived in his mother’s country

And when the young man arrived in his mother’s country he rejoiced there in the honour [which he received], and in the gifts [that were made] to him. And when the people saw him they thought him to be the perfect likeness of SOLOMON the King. And they made obeisance to him, and they said unto him, “Hail, the royal father liveth!” And they brought unto him gifts and offerings, fatted cattle and food, as to their king. And [the people of] the whole country of GÂZÂ, as far as the border of JUDAH, were stirred up and they said, “This is King SOLOMON.” And there were some who said, “The King is in JERUSALEM building his house”-now he had finished building the House of God-and others said, “This is SOLOMON the King, the son of DAVID.” And they were perplexed, and they disputed with one another, and they sent off spies mounted on horses, who were to seek out King SOLOMON and to find out if he were actually in JERUSALEM, or if he were with them [in GÂZÂ]. And the spies came to the watchmen of the city of JERUSALEM, and they found King SOLOMON there, and they made obeisance to him, and they said unto him, “Hail, may the royal father live! [Our] country is disturbed because there hath come into it a merchant who resembleth thee in form and appearance, without the smallest alteration or variation. He resembleth thee in noble carriage and in splendid form, and in stature and in goodly appearance; he lacketh nothing in respect of these and is in no way different from thyself. His eyes are gladsome, like unto those of a man who hath drunk wine, his legs are graceful and slender, and the tower of his neck is like unto the tower of DAVID thy father. He is like unto thee exactly in every respect, and every member of his whole body is like unto thine.”

And King SOLOMON answered and said unto them, “Where is it then that he wisheth to go?” And they answered and said unto him, “We have not enquired of him, for he is awesome like thyself. But his own people, when we asked them, ‘Whence have ye come and whither do ye go?’ said, ‘We have come from the dominions of HENDAKÊ (CANDACE) and ETHIOPIA, and we are going to the country of JUDAH to King SOLOMON.'” And when King SOLOMON heard this his heart was perturbed and he was glad in his soul, for in those days he had no children, except a boy who was seven years old and whose name was ÎYÔRBE‛ÂM (REHOBOAM). It happened to SOLOMON even as Paul stateth, saying, “God hath made foolishness the wisdom of this world,”1 for SOLOMON had made a plan in his wisdom and said, “By one thousand women I shall beget one thousand men children, and I shall inherit the countries of the enemy, and I will overthrow [their] idols.” But [God] only gave him three children. His eldest son was the King of ETHIOPIA, the son of the Queen of ETHIOPIA, and was the firstborn of whom [God] spake prophetically, “God sware unto DAVID in righteousness, and repented not, ‘Of the fruit of thy body will I make to sit upon thy throne.'”2 And God gave unto DAVID His servant grace before Him, and granted unto him that there should sit upon the throne of Godhead One of his seed in the flesh, from the Virgin, and should judge the living and the dead, and reward every man according to his work, One to whom praise is meet, our Lord JESUS CHRIST, for ever and ever, Amen. And He gave him one on the earth who should become king over the Tabernacle of the Law of the holy, heavenly ZION, that is to say, the King of ETHIOPIA. And as for those who reigned, who were not [of] ISRAEL, that was due to the transgression of the law and the commandment, whereat God was not pleased

*

Reasoning

Command:

Isaiah 51 v4 & 7

4  Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation:  for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgement to rest for a light of the people. 7  Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

Will:

Psalm 37 v23, 25, 37, 39-40

23  The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,

nor his seed begging bread.

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I, shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Desire:

Malachi 3 v 6 & 16

6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD

hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name, Emperor Haile Selassie I.

Wish:

Lamentation 3 v21-22, 26

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I.

*

Rastalogical Conception Dealing with Temple Worship

Ethio-Africa has given the world three major religions: Judeo-Christianity, Islam, 

and Traditional Worship.  Rastafarians have chosen Traditional Worship, where 

the King represents the visible representation of God.  The devotees of this 

conception; such as, Rastafarians, recognize the divinity of Emperor Haile 

Ethiopic tradition, the kings from the lineage of King David are associated with 

the Messianic conception of anointing the king, which is compatible of Samuel 

anointing Saul in ‘1 Samuel 10 v1 & 6 v9-10’, and in 16 v13, when Samuel 

anointed David.  This act establishes the ‘Hereditary Divine Kingship of God on 

Earth’.  These divine kingships were proclaimed by the temple from the days of 

King Solomon.

After Moses fled Egypt, Rastalogy acknowledge him living in Ethiopia for 40 

years; where he acquainted himself with the rituals and Temple Worship of the 

traditional Ethiopian faith.  During the reign of King Kikanus, Moses joined his 

army and soon became highly favored with him.  After the death of King Kikanus, 

Moses was appointed King of Ethiopia by Queen Adonith because King Kikanus 

son was too young to reign.  In the reign of Moses in Ethiopia, he exercised justice 

and righteousness.  When King Kikanus son became of age, Moses stepped down 

as king.  After Moses descended the throne in Ethiopia, he decided to travel 

towards Midian where he met Ruel (Jethro) and married his daughter Ziporah; 

whom were Ethiopians as well.

In the house of Jethro, Moses gained more experience in Temple Worship.  This 

knowledge and exposure enlightened Moses to the point where his mission was 

clear and understood.  Moses was then commissioned by Yahweh ‘the I AM that I 

AM’ to liberate the Hebrew people from Pharoah’s imperialism.

The retrospection of Moses’ history in Ethiopia, is to demonstrate to Rastafarians 

and people who are in search, that Ethiopia had Temple Worship long before the 

children of Israel received their laws.  Today, The Church of Haile Selassie I 

continues the ancient tradition of our Ethiopic ancestors in fulfillment of Micah 4 

v1-2, “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of 

the Lord (Temple) shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be 

exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.  And many nations shall 

come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the 

house (Temple) of the God of Israel; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will 

walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion (Ethiopia), and the word of the 

Lord from Jerusalem (Axum).

Without Temple Worship, Rastafarians would not be able to survive the 

onslaught of the twenty-first century.  Temple Worship is essential for ensuring 

the continuity of our ‘faith’.  The Temple establishes the path where we can 

venerate Emperor Haile Selassie I as the God of the ages.  Temple Worship 

legitimizes the sacred sanctity of Emperor Haile Selassie I.  The presence of the 

Church is not to convert members of the community, but to correct the abuse and 

errors of the mythological conception surrounding Emperor Haile Selassie I and 

to incorporate his ‘utterance’; which in the last days represents the ‘Comforter’ 

identified in the scriptures.

The exaltation of Ras Tafari Makonnen on November 2nd 1930 was ordained in 

the church of St. George in Addis Ababa; thus, fulfilling Revelation 5 v5, “And one 

of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the 

Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals 

thereof.”  For Rastafarians to reject the Church today would be an insult to the 

coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I, for His Majesty’s elevation was done in a 

church and not haphazardly in the bushes of Ethiopia.  Rastafarians must 

remember, it was Emperor Menelik, son of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba of 

Ethiopia, who established Temple Worship at Axum; which is the ancient capitol 

of Ethiopia, today recognized as the new Jerusalem.

*

Psalm 85

Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.

2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.

5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?

6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.

13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

*

RASTAFARI LETTER FROM THE MISSION TO AFRICA

This piece is from a Rastafari blog, written by a man called Robbie Shilliam, who is a Rastafari political science professor in the University of Sussex, Baltimore. His blog is fascinating, very knowledgeable and well-written. I’ve printed the first of the two letters he refers to this time and will print the second one next week….

“In April 1961, Rastafari members of the Mission to Africa passed through London.

In Notting Hill, on the day of leaving for Ethiopia, the Brethren wrote two letters, which I reproduce here:

“With all thy getting get understanding”

Vox Populi Vox Dei, I.N.R.I.

The Just shall live by his faith”

The Rastafari Brethren of Jamaica

Apostles of the Negus

32 Adastra Rd

Kgn.2 Jam. W.I.

H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth II

Clarence House

London England

Her Royal Highness,

Peace and Love be unto thee, from we Rastafari Brethren passing through your boundaries.

We know your Highness of your ancestors Queen Elizabeth I, who gave John Hawkins a Royal Charter to develop his West India Trading Company through slavery, and her gracious majesty Queen Victoria, of whom you are a descendent, freed the Black People of this Western Hemisphere (brought here through slavery) from Chattel slavery.

We Rastafarian Brethren of Jamaica do earnestly and sincerely desire your Royal Highness, to follow in the footsteps of so illustrious an ancestor as he Great Queen Victoria (who freed the Blackman of this western hemisphere from chains), and free all Black People within your Commonwealth, from political, economical, and Religious slavery to which we are subjected in this present time.

We humbly thank the late King James of England, for handing down his authorized translated version of the Bible to Christianize and to civilize us.

From the love and study of the Bible, the history of man and the earth, as much as our mental faculties can exercise, Since Almighty God has placed no limitation upon man’s mental capacities! We have derived a true conception based upon the Divnitiy of character of Emperor Haile Selassie I, whom we Rastafari Brethren depict as the Living God, the Returned messiah, the Ancient of Days.

We know through the bible scriptural passages that Repatriation for we Black people to our ancestral borders are inevitable.

Biblical Proof of Rastafarian Conceptions

(1)Acts of Apos. chap 2. ver. 29-32 states: That of the fruits of David’s loins according to the flesh, God shall raise up Christ to sit on His throne.

Rev. chap 5 ver -5 “Weep Not! Behold! The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root and the Offspring of David Hath Prevailed”.

Rev. 17 Ver 14 “He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

(2) Isiah ch.43 ver 5-7 “Fear not for I am with thee, I will bring thy seed from the East, and gather thee from the West, I will say unto the North give up, and to the South keep not back. Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the arth.

Heb chap 11 ver -15 “And truly if they had been mindful of that country, from whence they came out, they might have opportunity to have returned.”

It is WRITTEN: Let the words of God be true and all men be liars

Historical Corroborations

1930: Prince Regent Dejatchmatch Rastafari Makonen of Ethiopia and Sheba was crowned as the King of Kings and Lords of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Davit (David well beloved of God).

17th century: There was mass slave trading by the European colonial powers, Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, and others, who forcibly expatriated Black people from our ancestral Birthplace.

Charter of Human Rights

The U.N.O. Charter on Human Rights states: That any displaced people be repatriated to their respective borders should this be their desire. Therefore we the Descendants of Ethiopian (African) slaves, who were forcibly brought to this Western Hemisphere, do desire Repatriation to our ancestral and antecedents borders.

Motto of Rastafari Brethren

1) Passive resistance non violence. “I came not to destroy but to fulfill”.

2) Abstention from cutting the Hair, or marring the corners of Thy Beard Psm. 133

3) We know that Herbs (Ganja) was created for the service of Man, and grass for the cattle and animals, also for the Healing of the Nations. Gen.1

These conceptions your Highness, are basic Rastafari Principles and meditation, of which it was necessary to inform you.

We would write to you more but we do desire to meet you face to face ,to impart unto you, some spiritual gifts. May this letter please Thee your Highness. Our Peace we leave with tee not as this world giveth thee.

Faithfully

The Rastafari Brethren of Jamaica

32 Adastra Rd Kg. Jam, W.I.

14/April 1961”

*

Praises – Jah Cure

[Chorus]

Praises be to my king

There’s no other like Him

Praises be to my king

Glory be His name

[Verse 1]

Every day just what they say

“Better must come one day”

In the Father we hope and pray

The sun keep shining all the way

The fearing of my king, is the beginning

Of wisdom, knowledge and overstanding

The beauty to behold of

Mother earth’s creation

The rain keep rain and the sun keep shining through

How beautiful the earth is I know that Jah it’s you

[Chorus]

[Bridge]

You can say what you really wanna say

Do what you really wanna do

And no matter I’ll keep on loving you

So many yutes ‘ave been gone astray

Yutes ‘ave been gone away

I see them going on the wrong way

[Verse 2]

Thank you Jah for guiding me

Showing me a brighter way

Songs of praise I sing to thee

Never too much

I keep on holding on

Never get weary

Jah never leave us alone on this a’ journey

Why woy, why woy woy

[Chorus]

[Verse 1 repeat]

[Outro]

Praises be to my king

There’s no other like Him

Praises be to my king

*

Prayer/Give Thanks

This is a prayer of thanksgiving from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church….

Alleluia! O eternal God, Alfa Omega,

you are great in your design, mighty in your work,

wise in your counsel, and strong in your power.

You exist in all, O king of peace.

Be with us at this hour and dwell among us;

purify our heart, and sanctify our soul, body, and spirit.

Wash us from all sins which we have done wittingly, or unwittingly.

Kirialayson: Κύριε συγχώρησε μου.

*

I found this a couple of days ago and thought it described my life a bit too accurately!….

I have my hearing aids….it’s like having bionic ears! I can receive calls on my mobile phone with them, which is weird, but more importantly, I can hear! I can hear all the different ranges in the music I listen to, I don’t have to lip read. I had forgotten that lights and fridges and kettles make a sound. It’s really exciting to be able to hear, but really tiring too because I’m not used to so much sound in my life and I have to work out where is all coming from. I haven’t quite worked out how loud or quiet I should speak, so you are going to have to forgive me for all the hearing mistakes I make during the meeting!

Yesterday there was the first frost on the grass and a real nip to the air. It’s nearly time for the last cut of the lawns. Already, all the animals are in from the fields…it’s way too muddy for them to be out there now. It’s properly autumn now and my son is spending his time sweeping up leaves and having bonfires. I still haven’t ordered Mr Roberts and Claude’s new winter blankets…I must do that when I finish writing this letter to you all! In the next couple of weeks, I need to make my Christmas puddings and mincemeat for baking the mince pies. I love getting that all made and ready for the winter.

On our hill, we don’t really have ‘next door neighbours’ because everyone lives such a distance from each other, but we have a tradition that we give each other home made Christmas presents….so I make a jar of mincemeat for each house, another house makes damson gin with the damsons off their tree, another house makes the most amazing blackcurrant jam from their garden, someone else makes home made fudge (oh my goodness! It is awesome!) and so on. It’s lovely because it’s really inexpensive….mostly produce out of our gardens…but so nice to share in each other’s harvest…so this week, I need to get started on my Christmas cooking. In the midst of a mud-filled slog of a time of year, when it’s difficult to look after the animals, hard work to get out onto the roads, the house is deep in mud from all the wellyboots and the dogs’ paws and I have tonnes of muddy clothes and dog towels to wash, I really look forward to the traditions we have for the better parts of winter!

This evening’s letter writing companion is Anya, who is greedy when it comes to sofa-sharing….

Right, I must get this letter finished and go to get the outside cats’ bedding ordered!

Blessings,

Elizabeth