Early in the morning of September 12, 2023, we got back to the airport to continue our journey to Malawi. At the airport in Addis Ababa, we noticed that the floors were strewn with green grasses. That was to mark the beginning of a new year on the Ethiopian calendar. That day happened to be the beginning of their 2016! The Ethiopian calendar is usually about seven years behind the Gregorian calendar. Their calendar rests on a certain assumption. They believe that Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden for seven years before they were expelled for their sins. They further believe that when they repented, God promised to save them after 5,500 years. The Ethiopian Church believes that Christ was born in 7 BC, the year that the 5,500 years elapsed.
Whether you accept this theory or not, the point is the different dates they celebrate their festivals point to one reality – there are different times for different people. Even for those who operate the conventional Gregorian calendar, night for one zone is daytime for another. On the spiritual side, God has different times for different people. David knew this much when he penned down the words of our text. He knew that God controls times and seasons. Sooner than later, everyone must learn this lesson. If it seems that some are having a good time today, don’t be embarrassed or depressed about it. When your own time comes, everything will be beautiful.
