Mystic Fiction and Reality

Tiya Booker International Studies 261 01 Professor Turner 28 November, 2016 Teaching Ethiopian Children Pride and Knowledge Interacting with the Ethiopians that are apart of the community of the Ethiopian Orthodox church called MM, has been an overwhelming experience. My ethnographic project is focused on learning the culture of Ethiopians and what issues are important to them by focusing on people who are a part of MM, which is a small Ethiopian Orthodox church located in a medium sized city. There are not more than seventy members that attend service regularly. Maybe as a consequence of the church being small, there is clearly a family-like atmosphere there. By doing this study I have learned that the Ethiopians at MM care a lot about preserving their culture. Their unique Ethiopian Orthodox culture is so prevalent within their communities, and they present it with such pride and assertiveness that I even felt the draw to assimilate. The Ethiopians involved in MM hope that...

I plop on my bed and grab the Bible from my desk. The rugged feeling of its torn cover reminds me of how fast it has aged since Mom gave it to me for my tenth birthday present five years ago. I flip through passages in the Old Testament to see if I can find an example of a person having trouble showing positive emotions and affection. I need God to fix my problem. The highlighted verse of Isaiah 41:10 catches my attention. My large, almond-shaped eyes focuses on the first half that reads, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. ” Don’t fear? Why not? People like being afraid. That is why Halloween is a thing, horror movies, and roller-coasters which I quite enjoy. In fact, I was just at the Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion with some friends last weekend. However, the Bible paints out fear to be negative. Why? It doesn’t matter. I don’t think this verse is really going to help me with my emotional numbness. Mom shrills from the living room downsta...