Holy Books

"Declare ye among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish and conceal not…" Jeremiah 50.2

The Original African Heritage Study Bible KJV

Having wasted ten days feeling miserable with a head cold that made sensible thinking difficult, I am now back at my computer. Sometimes it takes a period of bed rest and isolation to generate the kind of reflection that one knows is long overdue. And whilst it may seem early to be thinking of New Year resolutions, it makes sense to begin thinking of them now. Whenever I confront myself with the frustrations in my life and my impatience at not moving visibly into the next phase of my journey I ask God for guidance and understanding on why I am not traveling at the speed of light. Invariable the answer is self evident and easily understood – God has a timeframe, patience is a virtue and what actually is the hurry?

For some time now, I have been browsing in bookshops for a particular gift for a very special friend. She is my spiritual sister in Christ and a Bishop in the Spiritual Baptist Church. We share as we journey and I hold her, and her church traditions in high regard. I realise that it would be simpler to order the book on line through the Internet and just wait for the postal delivery through my letter box. But the preciousness of the gift also lies in my expending energy in finding it. Plus there is a sense of exploration and discovery at the unexpected surprises one finds on book shelves. And again, I do get a particular delight in searching for, and buying books. They are an important part of my journey through which God speaks.

The book I am searching for is published in Kingston, Jamaica. It is dedicated to the "great Prophet, Visionary, Philosopher and Liberator, the Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, National Hero of Jamaica" and translated by Miguel F. Brooks. It is the modern translation of the Kebra Nagast (The Glory of Kings) the Ethiopian Holy Book. It recounts; the historical movement of God, the Ark of the Covenant’s journey to Ethiopia, the establishment of the Hebraic religion and the Solomonic line of Kings. It is one of several non-academic and non-canonical books that I hold sacred and personally treasure.

This time I thought I had found a copy in the Caribbean history section of a well know London book shop. However it was a different version with a sub title indicating its translation as the lost Rastafarian Bible of Ethiopian wisdom and faith with an introduction by Ziggy Marley. Browsing through it, I was pleased to see it had lyrics from hymns sung by his father, Bob Marley, side by side with extracts from Proverbs. I did not buy the volume as I was on a particular mission and my friend is from another Caribbean island. But I will return when the time is right and it becomes a piece in the jigsaw of the next stage of my life and journey. Then I will be able to hear more acutely and more meaningfully, aspects of my own language being spoken through my cultural and spiritual heritage. But it was a timely reminder to continue to strive to integrate this expression of my faith into the very fabric of my daily life. To interweave Noah’s rainbow, a symbol of God’s promise to all of us, in all its colours (not just one or two) and to feel fully alive and authentic in worship.

So my potential New Year’s resolution? To keep listening to my heart, to open my ears to what I hear and to speak and not to be silent. But more importantly to be truly open to the multi-cultural nature of God.

"And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words]. Now there were then residing in Jerusalem Jews, devout and God-fearing men from every country under heaven. And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together and they were astonished and bewildered, because each one heard them [the apostles] speaking in his own [particular] dialect. And they were beside themselves with amazement, saying, Are not all these who are talking Galileans? Then how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own (particular) dialect to which we were born?" - Acts 2:4—8 (Amplified)

God speaks in many languages for different ears to hear – for diverse peoples to experience the beauty of the love of God. If the dialect you hear is not your own, perhaps you should move on to a place where it is spoken?

May the Holy Spirit of God enable you to be where you should be, so you can hear God’s voice most clearly.

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