Interfaith ministers who have made the decision to be ordained in the Universal Life Church share a reverence for all religious traditions and holidays. An observance of Epiphany is an event common to both the Eastern and Western Christian Churches. One of the liveliest and most colorful celebrations centered on the Eastern Orthodox holiday of Epiphany is the Ethiopian holy day Timkat. Timkat, like Epiphany, celebrates the baptism of Christ in the river Jordan. It is held on January 19th. It is not to be confused with the Western Christian celebration of Epiphany on January 6th which commemorates the discovery of Jesus by the Magi. Timkat is the most important holy day in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Called Theophany or “the appearance of God” in most Eastern Orthodox traditions, Timkat is a holiday specific to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Timkat means baptism, and the baptism of Jesus by St. John is recreated in the Timkat service. On the eve of Timkat a model of the Ark of the Covenant called a Tabot is carried on the shoulders of the priest to a river or a pool. The Tabot is swathed in colorful silk cloths for decoration and also to obscure it from sight. As the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabot is considered to be the embodiment of Christ and as such is too holy to be seen with the naked eye.
At 2 a.m. the Tabot and the procession of priests and laity reach the river, and the priest blesses the water. There follows a lively celebration with drumming, dancing and singing, while the laity is baptized with the now holy water.
Interfaith ministers in the Universal Life Church will recognize in the Timkat ritual some common themes that resonate with other religious traditions. Baptism traditionally signifies a chance for rebirth into grace and a cleansing of sins. This symbolic rebirth offers a chance to begin life again without the burdens of the past and a greater chance to avoid previous patterns of sinful behavior. It is a common belief in many religions that the spiritual seeker must “die” to their previous selves to be reborn within their new spiritual tradition. This notion is believed not only in the Christian tradition but also in Islam, Buddhism, Native American traditions, and others. Ministers who have made the decision to be ordained in the Universal Life Church will no doubt recognize and appreciate the commonality of this idea.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Christian churches. It was founded in about A.D. 40 which makes it somewhat older than Christianity’s spread to the West.