H.I.M. WORD SOUND

Haile Selassie I on Jesus Christ

When Jesus Christ was born from Virgin Mary, from that time on He lived an exemplary life, a life which men everywhere must emulate. This Life and the Faith that He taught Us assures Us of Salvation, assures Us also of Harmony and Good Life upon Earth.



Because the Exemplary Character of the Life of Jesus Christ it is necessary that all men do their Maximum in their Human Efforts to see to it that they approximate as much as they can the Good Example that as been set by Him.

It is quite true that there is no perfection in humanity. From time to time we make mistakes, we do commit sins but even as we do that, deep in Our hearts as Christains we know we have forgivness from the Almighty. He taught Us all who seek Him shall Find Him. To live in this Healthy Life, a Christain Life, is what makes Me follow Jesus Christ."

For Christian people no day is as glorious and as joyous as the day on which they commemorate the Nativity of Our Savior Jesus Christ. On this day each one of Us tries to forget his worries and his anxieties and endeavours to alleviate those of his loved ones and friends, and to forgive those who have wronged Him, so as only to mediate on the life of Him who is Supreme Lord in All.

From Our early childhood We are struck by the sentiments of unfathomable mystery, simple and yet sublime, which stirs up in Us the evocation of the Birth of the Divine Child.

The Mystery of Bethlehem reveals itself in our spirits, more fascinating the more we advance on the path of life, and the more we realize the magnitude of the mission each one of us has to accomplish in this world, be it humble or noble, ardous or thankless.

An unheard of event, expected for more then forty centuries has at last been accomplished: the Son of God is born. He has only a stable for His palace and a manger for a cradle. The hearts of the wise are thrilled by this majestic humilty, and the kings of the Earth bend their knees before Him and worship Him.

'Peace on Earth, goodwil to men,' -this was His first message. In the same manner when He went to the summit of Calvery, there to expiate for our sins with the supreme sacrifice, He gave up His last breath invoking forgivness for His very tormentors: 'Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.'

In pondering over the life, the goodness, humanity and sacrifice of the Savior of the World, in looking at the laws which He gave us, how much should we be ashamed to call ourselves Christian people, and yet not to follow His footsteps. Had we been Christain people, had we been worthy of the name, peace would have reigned on all the face of the Earth, and would have risen to the level of the immortal angels who always glorify the Eternal God, and the peoples of the world would no longer have remained divided into hostile camps.

In very truth there are no interest or reasons, however legitimate they may be, that can justify war.

2. His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie Speech given to:

WORLD EVANGELICAL CONGRESS - BERLIN October 28,1966

As Jesus Christ has said: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." lt is therefore Our expressed hope that these words will be realized in their full significance in this great assembly.



We are happy to be present in this famous City of Berlin where Christian leaders are assembled to consider ways and means of spreading Our Christian Faith in the world. We thank Mr. Billy Graham for inviting Us to address this meeting. The propagation of the Christian Faith among nations has become a task of paramount importance in this age as is evidenced by this great assembly of Christian leaders.
As you all know, it is centuries past since Our country, Ethiopia, accepted the Gospel of Christ.



We learn from the Holy Scriptures that the first Ethiopian who confessed faith in Jesus Christ was baptised only a few months after the death and resurrection of Our Lord. From then on Christianity spread steadily among the Ethiopian people and became the religion of the Ethiopians in the Fourth Century.



It is a matter of pride for Us, a special cause for thankfulness to Almighty God, when We recall that the Christian Faith was introduced to Our people by the Imperial Court and through the instrumentality of the then reigning Monarch.
Ethiopian history testifies that our ancestors, who rose after the first Christian Emperors, were men and women who had great zeal and keenness for the Faith of Christ and who did all in their power for its propagation among our people.



Many among them, like Emperor Caleb who lived in the Fifth Century and Emperor Lalibela and his immediate successors who lived in the Twelfth Century, have been canonized.
When the countries of the Middle East, North East Africa and Asia Minor, where the Gospel was preached by the Apostles, were over run by and succumbed under a power opposed to the Christian Faith, the sovereigns and people of Ethiopia, firm in their deep love for the Faith of Christ and supplemented by the nature of their native land, put up great struggles to preserve Ethiopia as an island of Christianity.



Deep is Our thankfulness to our God for this grace. Numerous are our ancestors, who throughout the centuries consecrated and sacrificed their lives on the battlefield that Ethiopia might survive strong in her Christian Faith.
When, after all these worthy predecessors, We assumed the leadership of Our people half a century ago, We became acutely aware of the magnitude of the sacred trust and responsibility
vouchsafed to Us to work for the glory of God and the continued and lasting welfare of Our people. During the past 50 years not only did We labour that Our people may lead a better life while on this earth but We also did not spare Our energy and treasure to develop their spiritual heritage, the value of which no human mind can assess.

"Our people were at first ruled by Mosaic law, but after the advent of Christianity to Ethiopia they came after to be governed by the Fetha Negast..." -His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, Forward for t he Fetha Negast

"With regard to food, there is no prohibition in the Christian law, with the exception of what the Apostles forbade in the book of Acts and in their canons, by saying, "It is the Holy Spirit's pleasure and ours that we should not lay upon you a burden heavier than that abstinence which is absolutley necessary, namely, that you abstain from eating blood, meat from strangled animals, the sacrafice of idols, and the residue of what was eaten by animals...." " -Fetha Negast, Chapter XXIII, 25

"With respect to hair, men and above all priests must not grow their hair long. In particular, they must not nourish or braid it; rather they must shave it. The inconvenience of growing the hair long is demonstrated by the word of the Apostle Paul, who said to the Corinthians, "Does not even nature tell you that if a man grows his hair long, it is a shame unto him?"" -Fetha Negast, Chapter LI, pg. 307

"Christians must not stop work on Saturday, as the Jews do, but as Christians they shall work on this day. If among the Christian people, some are found to behave as Jews, they will be driven away from the face of Christ. You shall not observe Saturday as a holiday, as the Jews do" -Fetha Negast, Chapter XIX, pg. 114

"...We refer to all these only to indicate that this age above all ages is a period in history when it should be our prime duty to preach the Gospel of Grace to all our fellow men and women. The love shown in Christ by our God to mankind should constrain all of us who are followers and disciples of Christ to do all in our power to see to it that the Message of Salvation is carried to those of our fellows for whom Christ Our Saviour was sacrificed but who have not had the benefit of hearing the good news.

Since nobody can interfere in the realm of God we should tolerate and live side by side with those of other faiths.

However, if the threat is posed we shall not fail to resist with courage any such incursions. We wish to recall here the spirit of tolerance shown by Our Lord Jesus Christ when He gave forgiveness to all including those that crucified Him.

In these modern days, there are a multitude of things published in print and broadcast by radio which captivate the human mind and spirit; many new ideas are disseminated by the learned. Many wonderful appliances are produced to make life more and more comfortable.

The rich powers have passed on from exploring and exploiting this earth and are vying with each other to explore and conquer the moon and the planets. Knowledge is increasing in a bewildering manner. All this is good, wonderful and praiseworthy. But what will be the end of it all? It is Our firm belief that only what the Lord wills will be done. We should be careful that the results thus achieved by mankind should not meet with the fate of the Tower of Babel, the handwork of those people of old which came to pieces in their hands.

The Apostle Paul says: "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" and "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise and they are vain." The reason for this is because generally speaking man makes himself and his wisdom the beginning and the end of his aim in life, and we are convinced that the end of this is destruction and death.

Our Lord Jesus Christ says: "What has a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" Why did the effort of those who tried to build the Tower of Babel come to nothing? Was it not because they tried to live apart from their Creator, and because, vaunting themselves in their wisdom, they tried to build a tower whose top was to reach unto heaven and thus make a name for themselves? It is Our conviction that all the activities of the children of men which are not guided by the Spirit and counsel of God will bear no lasting fruit, they will not be acceptable in the sight of the Lord and will therefore come to nought as the Tower of Babel came to nought.

It is for this reason that the Church of Christ, and especially Christian leaders, have such an enormous responsibility. However wise or however mighty a person may be, he is like a ship without a rudder if he is without God. A rudderless ship is at the mercy of the waves and the wind, drifts wherever they take it and if there arises a whirlwind it is smashed against the rocks and becomes as if it has never existed. It is our firm belief that a soul without Christ is bound to meet with no better fate.

Therefore 0! Christians, let us arise and, with the spiritual zeal and earnestness which characterized the Apostles and early Christians, let us labour to lead our brothers and sisters to Our Saviour Jesus, Who only can give life in its fullest sense."

October 28, 1966

IMPORTANT UTTERANCIES OF H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I 1963-1972. Page 486-490.
Published by THE IMPERIAL ETHIOPIAN MINISTRY OF INFORMATION Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1972.
Printed in Ethiopia by Berhanena Selam H.S.I. Printing Press Addis Ababa

In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Jah and the Word was Jah! St. John 1:1