Thanks for the invite. In my last parish assignment before retirement I served a community or Eritreans, who like the author here, were the victims of a Marxist takeover of their nation. There are presently thousands of Eritreans living long term lives in Ethiopia. Our community were Kunama, which have a language that has a western alphabet, were relocated to Phoenix by LIRS. Their faith is more strict Protestant than Lutheran, though they claim to be Lutheran. The faith is very pietistic, and to their credit they have preserved infant Baptism.
I tried to tutor their leader, whom I now consider a friend, in Lutheran theology and practice, but it became clear to me after a couple of years of this tutoring, is that they simply want to practice their faith as they did in Eritrea here in America. Monthly Holy Communion with grape juice only, loud and without Western Liturgy. Their faith is almost pentecostal in my view, though I have mediated discussion when a group of Eritrean Pentecostals tried to merge with the community worshipping at my church, but they wanted to take over and were rebuffed by our group over Infant Baptism. I could write on, but will restrain myself. I am now recalling their bright food, which is VERY spicy to the “Gringo Gut”, so they always directed me to the few blander items when we had joint congregational potlucks.
