Our Sacred Traditions Endured Because of the Sacrifice at Adwa

During a teaching session for youth and children following the Divine Liturgy at the Hamere Noah Kidane Mehret Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Nashville, Tennessee, the church administrator, Reverend Dr. Amsalu, reflected on the upcoming 130th Anniversary of the Victory of Adwa. He reminded the congregation that just as Ethiopians from every corner of the nation united to endure a bitter sacrifice to hand down a sovereign and respected country, that same sacrifice is what allowed our religious heritage to remain unadulterated. He emphasized that our order of worship and sacred traditions reached us today, preserved from generation to generation without distortion, precisely because of the "offering of life" made at Adwa. "We teach this history to our children," Dr. Amsalu continued, "so that they may truly know who they are and understand the weight of the sacrifice that was paid for them." He concluded with a poignant observation, stressing that Adwa transcends simple governance: "Anyone who views the Victory of Adwa as mere politics is mistaken. Adwa is the very foundation of our existence; it is what secured our self-confidence today and ensured that our system of faith remained pure and untouched."