The Face of God by Bill Myers

Author:Bill Myers [Myers, Bill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

PART FOUR

CHAPTER TEN

“So again I say, what’s the big difference?” Tyler asked as he caught a dribble of hot sauce falling from his injera, a type of bitter-tasting tortilla wrap. He slurped up the part that hadn’t run down the wrist of one hand, while holding his camera and zooming in on Nayra with the other. “I mean, other than you guys believing Muhammad was the last great prophet, and a few other technicalities…aren’t we basically the same?”

“You mean, except for the fact that we live and practice our faith, whereas most Christians and Jews do not?” Nayra asked wryly.

Tyler glanced from his camera to his dad and Doc. Both pretended to ignore the comment. “Well, yeah, other than that. I mean, you said you believe in the Bible and everything, so I really don’t see that big a difference.”

The four of them walked down a steep, dusty path lined with eucalyptus and pepper trees. Just ahead was Kedane Mehret, a small church built upon a sacred spring not far from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. They’d been in the country just over a day, gathering supplies and preparing for the bone-jarring ride to Axum, far up in the northern mountains. It was Tyler’s first visit to a developing country, and he was surprised at the choking exhaust fumes, the flies, the number of beggars, and the toilet facilities that did not include such luxuries as a bowl, a seat…or toilet paper.

He was also surprised at the importance of religion here. Everywhere he looked, there was something to remind him —people bowing three times when passing churches; elaborate crucifixion jewelry; even the swimming pool at their hotel was formed into the shape of a giant cross. Before them, at the bottom of the hill, lay the church. Beside it a small blue building with white latticework doors. Here the sick and “demon possessed” came to shower and be healed. Nearby, one of several priests wrapped in white robes was rubbing a large crucifix up and down the bony back of a kneeling man, as another person, most likely a relative, poured icy water from the spring over his head. The air was hot and dusty, nearly choking Tyler with the smell of eucalyptus. And although the red-dirt plaza had a definite feel of peace and tranquillity, he couldn’t help noticing the presence of more than one policeman.

Daniel cleared his throat slightly, indicating that he was about to enter their conversation. “Nayra, as we said before, isn’t the pivotal difference between our two faiths how we view Jesus Christ?”

Tyler threw him a look. Although he had major issues with his father, one thing he could say about the man was that he was cool. He never tried pushing his religion down anybody’s throat. Of course Tyler knew he looked down his pious, holier-than-thou nose at anybody who disagreed with him, especially those of different faiths, like Nayra. But he also knew the guy was far too “civil” to argue unless asked.

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