Healing Wounds of Ethnic Conflicts Through Feet-Washing

By Endy (Endalkachew) Kidanewold

This book is about reconciliation. It is about winning forgiveness and healing for self and others at a price. That price in this book is foot washing. The research, based on descriptions and stories told, shed light on the depth of foot washing as a powerful alternative tool that can break the cycle of conflict and facilitate dialogue. Stories tell that foot washing generated emotions of tears and joy eliciting trust, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration of lost relationships in the process of mediation and conflict resolution. Endy and his wife are small business owners in travel and commercial-cleaning trades since 1995. Endy is currently a certified mediator in Superior Court Civil Actions in the state of North Carolina. Love, let live, and live (partly a World War II saying).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662473456

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Healing Wounds of Ethnic Conflicts Through Feet-Washing

Endy (Endalkachew) Kidanewold

Copyright © 2022 Endy (Endalkachew) Kidanewold

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-7344-9 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-7345-6 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Preface

Chapter 1

Introduction

Intransigent Nature of Ethnic Conflicts

The Psychology of Ethnocentrism

Feelings and Emotions of Ethnic Identity vs. Faith Values

Human Nature, Ethnic Identity, and the Christian Faith

Chapter 2

The Ethiopian Church and Ethnolinguistic Conflicts

Historical Context of the Ethiopian Church Case

The Dilemma of Diversity

The Amharas and Amharic-Speaking Group

The Oromos and the Oromifa-Speaking Group

The Worship Language and Identity Conflict

Chapter 3

Mediation and Dispute Resolution Approaches

Traditional Mediation

Mediation in the Ethiopian Context

Chapter 4

History of Foot Washing and Reconciliation

The Christian Perspective on Foot Washing

Foot Washing and the Reconciliation Story

Chapter 5

Forgiveness and Its Influence and Foot Washing

Forgiveness and Well-Being

The Case of Reconciled EECMY as a Peacemaker

Forgiveness and Reconciliation among the Tribes

Forgiveness and Reconciliation Influencing Politics

Chapter 6

Participants' Ferstehen, Meanings, and Data Analysis

Ethnolinguistics and Christian Principles

Ethnocentrism as Homogeneity

Ethnocentrism as Divisive and Exclusive

Ethnolinguistic Conflicts in the Church

Language as a Marker of Identity

Language as a Rights Issue

Lack of Preparedness and Awareness

Lack of Respect and Acceptance

Ethnicity in Light of God's Kingdom

Ethnicity Coexisting with Christianity

The Kingdom Mind Perspectives

Discussions and Findings of Ethnolinguistic and Christian Principles

Ethnocentrism as Rigid and Inward Looking

The Kingdom Mind

Single-Identity Perspectives

Dual-Identity Perspectives

Findings and Reconciling of the Two Viewpoints

Chapter 7

Analysis of the Efficacy of Foot Washing in Modifying Behaviors

Foot Washing as Transforming Hostility

Foot Washing as a Form of Remorse and Asking for Forgiveness

Foot Washing as Mitigating the Trust and Respect Gap

Foot Washing as an Act of Love and Humility or Altruism

Foot Washing as a Demonstration of Love and Change of Behavior

Foot Washing as a Form of Humility or Altruism

Discussions of Findings and Theories on Foot Washing

Findings Relating to Foot Washing as Transforming Hostility

Findings of Foot Washing as Mitigating Trust and Respect Factors

Findings of Foot Washing as an Act of Love

Findings of Foot Washing as Humility and Altruism

Chapter 8

Forgiveness as Influencing, Empowering, and Inspiring

Forgiveness as Healing Spiritual and Psychological Wounds

Forgiveness as Influencing Power

Forgiveness Empowers and Inspires

Findings and Theories of Forgiveness

Findings of Forgiveness as Influencing Power

Findings of Forgiveness as Empowering and Inspiring

Chapter 9

Summary and Conclusion

Chapter 10

Suggestions and Recommendations

References

About the Author

Acknowledgments

I thank God Almighty for keeping me inspired and granting me health and energy to complete this book. I am grateful to my wife, Meseret Tsige, and our children who were supportive of my work and were patient with me during the many hours away from the family.

Similarly, I want to thank the participants in this research project for responding to my requests readily and, particularly, sharing their lived experiences of conflicts and reconciliation. Meaningful and exciting knowledge emerged from the participants' unfettered cooperation, and I appreciate their contributions. I have also been enriched by newly found friendships with the participants, some of whose pains I will be carrying until they find resolution.

I am also grateful to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus leadership for granting me access to the institution and the relevant information. Lastly, I am thankful to many of my friends who kept encouraging and providing me with moral support to finish this book.

Foreword

In this enlightening and insightful monograph, Endalkachew Kidanewold analyzes the reconciliation process that the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) went through in 2008. The EECMY is the fastest growing and the largest Lutheran church in the world with membership of over 10 million members and was established as a national church in 1959.

For over 14 years (1994–2008), the EECMY was divided into two groups over a conflict related to language policy and governance issues: The EECMY and the so-called Addis Ababa and the Surrounding Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church (AASEMYC). For all these years, different teams and church leaders have attempted to reconcile the two groups and have failed, including the former president of Ethiopia Dr. Negaso Gidada. However, a team of 8 Ethiopian diaspora pastors and a lay leader (Kidanewold himself) went to Ethiopia to reunite the two groups using foot washing as a mediation intervention tool for forgiveness and reconciliation—and they succeeded.

Traditionally, based on the Gospel of John chapter 13, biblical scholars have argued that the practice of foot washing should be understood as a means of reconciliation between God and fellow human beings. Others have also indicated that such practice serves as a constant reminder to Christians that they should treat others the way Jesus treats us; To forgive and be reconciled so that a community of love and fellowship will be created and maintained. It is an example of humility and a symbol of forgiveness.

What a wonderful story to tell! Many books have been published on peace and reconciliation particularly in the African context. Yet, reconciliation becomes more realistic when viewed within the context of the real stories of real people who work for healing. In this book, Kidanewold takes readers on a deep and honest journey through the complications of the ethnic history in Ethiopia, its impact on the life and ministry of the EECMY, and helps the readers understand and discover how our ethnic story can be transformed for compelling witness and mission.

I was part of the story. I was present when leaders of the two groups participated in the worship service at Addis Ababa Mekane Yesus Church in 2008, and the worship ended with the foot washing service of reconciliation. For me, what I saw happening on the stage was an act of faith—walking into Christ's grace—in hope of a new life only informed by our past. It was a time of Confession and personal reflection.

In our broken world, ethnicity and racial identity are often points of pain and injustice. Yet, when we humble ourselves before God and begin to experience internal transformation through sharing God's love with each other, God propels us outward in a reconciling witness to the world. As this book clearly demonstrates, a simple act of washing the feet of others opens the door for God's love to heal the wounds.

Rev. Dr. Samuel Deressa

Assistant Professor of Theology and Global South and Fiechtner Chair in Christian Outreach, Concordia University, St. Paul, MN

Preface

The author appreciates the difficulty of comprehending human nature, specifically in relation to ethnicity and/or racial issues, and why people at times act the way they do, even contrary to their faith and moral values when they perceived an attack on their race or ethnicity. Ethnic and racial issues require continued awareness, dialogue, and research. This book addresses one of the unexplored ways of healing the wounds of ethnic conflicts by using foot washing as a mediation intervention tool for forgiveness and reconciliation. This book is based on a qualitative study with data collected from thirty-five participants through in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observations, and the findings are analyzed to build on theories of ethnic conflicts and resolutions.

The research explores the concepts of the Christian view of the kingdom mind and the merits of such a view in light of the dual relationship of ethnic identity self-awareness cohabiting with the spiritual person whose values are of a higher order. To contextualize and grasp the abstract nature of ethnic identity issues, this book uses a case study of ethnolinguistic conflict and reconciliation from the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus/EECMY in Africa. The case study mirrors the sensitive nature of ethnic or racial conflicts throughout the world, and its results could apply to Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Americas. The ethnolinguistic conflict tore apart the ethnically and linguistically diverse church members in Ethiopia, and the hostility between the two main groups aggravated the already-tense ethnic relations in the country. The book describes the serious nature of ethnic identity conflicts but, also, optimistically, highlights foot washing as a dramatic means of reconciliating and transforming damaged relationships in that this example could inspire other reconciliations.

The book narrates the story of the mediators and their struggles to come up with a viable approach to an extremely difficult task. It offers insights into how the mediators finally stumbled upon foot washing as a mediation tool, at first dismissing it as too simplistic and inappropriate but, finally, discovering it to be a powerful tool that brought down the walls of hatred. The book analyzes the spiritual and psychological meanings attached to foot washing, its applicability to, the psychology and healing power of forgiveness, and its ability to extend its influence beyond immediate environment. Additionally, although the reconciliation is holding, for the most part, the author attempts to identify and find answers to the issues of the sustainability of the reconciliation and why even such a landmark peace agreement and reunification failed to resolve the ethnolinguistic tensions and conflicts still existing in a handful of the congregations.

Chapter 1

Introduction

The author attempts to explore the healing power of forgiveness through foot washing and uncover and analyze the deep feelings, emotions, and behaviors related to ethnicities, languages, and religious values in the context of a multiethnic and multilingual Ethiopian church (the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus [EECMY]). Mekane Yesus is an Amharic word (Ethiopian official language) meaning place of Jesus, and the EECMY is a Christian denomination traditionally affiliated with the Lutherans and Presbyterians. This conflict and reconciliation case study provides insights into understanding and appreciating the related sensitivity of ethnic identity and language, one of the strong identity markers. In addition, the mediation efforts and methods, particularly foot washing, and the healing power of forgiveness for effective ethnic conflict resolution strategies are presented.

Central to this book is the use of foot washing as an intervention strategy, allowing acceptance, civility, complete forgiveness, and the restoration of trust and relationships in a conflict situation. In the case of the conflicts that beset The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, as unconventional and unfamiliar as it may seem, the foot washing exercise played a pivotal role leading to healing relationships between rival ethnic groups and former friends and coworkers bringing about forgiveness, reconciliation, and the resolution of fourteen years of bitter hostility. This reconciliation was achieved after over twenty-three formal and informal mediation efforts failed, including those initiated by such notable political figures as the President of Ethiopia (Gala 2010, Ofgaa 2013, Stephanos 2014). The singular success of foot washing in this case is what invited an in-depth investigation into its remarkable efficacy.

Although many people experienced the transformative healing power of forgiveness during foot washing that resulted in the reunification of the EECMY and one of its synods, Addis Ababa and Surrounding Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (AASECMY), sustaining the reconciliation and peace proved to be a challenge. The public applauded the reconciliation and reunification of the split churches, and the reunified church reclaimed its rightful status and voice for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopian society. Indeed, the reconciliation, for the most part, is holding and relative peace has been achieved. Yet sustaining a spirit of reconciliation and harmony between the two ethnolinguistic groups, at least among some congregations, was far from assured. The church still needs to find effective ways of addressing the root causes of the conflict as well as managing and containing it. Despite the achievement in this case, ethnic-related conflicts do not seem to have an easy answer within either the church or the society.

Intransigent Nature of Ethnic Conflicts

Scholars agree that conflict is part of human history and a natural day-to-day occurrence, and therefore, some form of intervention or conflict-management strategy is needed in order to prevent an escalation to violence (Herman 2006, Hopkins 2009). Societies wish to maintain peace and progress, so depending on the attitudes and policies of their political and religious leaders, they search for ways to avoid conflicts. Regardless of these efforts, ethnic identities, different languages, and religious discord collectively create a complex conflict dynamic in many societies, making reconciliation and peaceful resolution of conflicts difficult to achieve (Byrne & Carter 1996). An extensive literature deals with ethnic identity conflicts, the complexity of perceptual differences, and the challenges of mediation interventions in all parts of the world. Byrne and Carter (1996) describe ethnic conflicts as multifaceted, having both material and psychological grounds, and involving such factors as history, religion, demographics, economics, and culture.

Ethnic conflicts are said to be hard to identify, usually misdiagnosed, and they can be deadly, if not addressed effectively and in a timely manner. Rothman (1997) states, [ethnic] conflicts are relatively intangible and deeply rooted in the more abstract and interpretive dynamics of history, psychology, culture, values, and beliefs of identity groups (p. 11). Thus, many conflicts end up tearing communities apart, and they are occasionally accompanied by intense hostility and violence, which open wounds and leave scars that will remind communities of their existence for generations to come unless they can be brought to the surface and addressed honestly through forgiveness and reconciliation.

The ethnic issues that can lead to conflict are the desire to be autonomous, discontent with corrupt governments, the alienation of one group from another, and the prejudices and practices of discrimination. Furthermore, underlying causes for ethnic clashes can also include fear of losing one's ethnic identity, reactions to real or imagined existential threats, extremist views, ethnic-based government policies, and the competition for political influence and economic resources (Assefa 1996; Assensoh 2004; Cohen 2000; Conflict in South Sudan 2014; Gudina 2006; Habtu 2005; Lim 2000; Osimen, Akinyemi, and Samuel, 2013; Van Der Beken 2012; Wagaw 2001; Wordofa 2008).

For example, Central African intercommunal ethnic cleansing, including horrific religious violence that both Muslim and Christian militants are guilty