Ethiopia is directly mentioned thirty-eight times in the
Bible. Probably the most famous reference is that of the Ethiopian eunuch who
is baptised by Philip (Acts 8:27). In addition, there’s plenty of references to
the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10) with many scholars believing that Sheba is also
Ethiopia.
I’ve recently returned from Ethiopia and the annual Leprosy
Mission conference, held in Addis Ababa for the first time. When I think of
Africa I think of heat. But most of Ethiopia is on a high plain – Addis Ababa
is 7,200 feet above sea level. No wonder I was feeling it walking up the stairs
at the hotel!
As part of the Leprosy Mission conference, we celebrated the
Wellesley Bailey Awards. These are annual awards given to celebrate the life and work
of Wellesley Bailey, the founder of The Leprosy Mission. The Awards honour
those who have made extraordinary contributions to society through overcoming
the social stigma and physical challenges of leprosy.
This
year the two winners were Birke Nigatu Teka from Ethiopia and Kofi Nyarko from
Ghana.
Birke
overcame the stigma of the disease and the belief system of her people that
considered it untreatable. She saved her own money, secretly went to the
hospital and underwent two and a half years of treatment. She faced many other
problems, including attempted rape, but refused to give up, acting as an
ambassador for others with leprosy. She has established a leprosy women’s
association and has developed working groups, producing local handicrafts. She
serves on a number of national associations and boards and in her own words, is
‘proud of my up and down life’. Those ups and downs have changed many other
lives.
Kofi
was abused as a child, and neglected by his family. It was a stranger who
recognised he had leprosy and helped him escape to a leprosy hospital. Today Kofi
is a spokesperson for those with leprosy and is a member of a number of
national and international agencies. He says that it is because of his leprosy
that he has become so popular!
There
are thirty-eight mentions of Ethiopia in the Bible and it’s not possible to add
to scripture. But there are two more stories worthy of inclusion.
