Children Lost

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Roots of Armodoxy: Children Lost

Yerablur is place where you sober up quickly. Sometimes the beauty and charm of Armenia and all of its wonders are very exciting and mesmerize the senses. It becomes easy to forget that there was and there still is a cost to this beauty.

Graves on a small hill in Yerevan, called Yerablur, with an abundance of flags, incense and flowers, dazed family members, and “brave soldiers that cannot get older” make it clear that freedom has a cost, that is, freedom is not free. These graves are of the soldiers that paid the price.

Most of these graves are from the 44 day war in 2020, when the Azeris attacked the Armenians and young men, many in their teens, we called to defend the homeland. The grave markers, or tombstones, stare at you with pictures of these children.

As we stood there on this hill, I reflected on our purpose for being here: Peace.

As the Armenian Church we offer something that no one else can, namely the peace through an effort of love and compassion. Walking “in the shoes” of others is a form of compassion. In Armenian, the “In His Shoes” formula is summed up, “Tzav’t Tanem” – let me feel your pain.  To feel the pain of others is the beginning of compassion, and the next step is to help alleviate the pain. The way of the world is to send weapons of war – guns, bombs – the way that we have discovered in the ancient form of Armenian Christianity is not by passing along guns – weapons of violence – but by offering the tools to overcome the guns.

A little chapel sits at Yerablur, where we offered a prayer for the souls of all those who’ve fallen for this sacred land, but not before reciting the song by Stephen Stills, which serves as our prayer,

Daylight again, following me to bed

I think about a hundred years ago

How my father’s bled

I think I see a valley covered with bones in blue

All the brave soldiers that cannot get older

Been asking after you

Hear the past a’ calling from Armageddon’s side

When everyone’s talking and no one is listening

How can we decide

Do we find the cost of freedom buried in the ground?

Mother Earth will swallow you

Lay your body down

Children and Religion

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Armodoxy for Today: Children & Religion

It is interesting to me that as adults we want to impose on our children systems that have not worked for us. Jesus, turns the tables on that discussion, as he usually does, by calling a child as the example of what he wanted to see in us all.

We read in Matthew 18: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,  and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Children are pure, but we know that purity can soon be diluted and corrupted. It seems there are more opportunities and quicker means by which children can be corrupted today. And so, we create ways of passing on knowledge to our kids. The challenge for us, is not to lose track of our goal. I have heard many well-intentioned teachers of scripture do so in literal terms. For instance, presenting the story of Noah’s Ark as literal truth, will certainly backfire when the children ask simple questions like, “What do you mean everyone was so bad that God flooded the world? What about the child that was born the night before, was she evil too?” Instead, the stories of the Old Testament are there to be used as metaphors and templates for some basic truths, such as God has rules and regulations.

The best lessons we can give children is given not with words but by action. When children see their parents and teacher live the life they preach, a greater lesson cannot be learned.

At the Armenian Monastery at Geghart, there is a room to light candles, as there is in all the monasteries. In these rooms are large trays holding sand, where people can light candles of prayer, reminding them of the Light that comes from Christ. At Geghart, however, they have a few of these candle areas that are only a few feet above the ground, making them accessible by children. Right next to their parents, children have an opportunity to stop, light a candle and begin a habit that they will carry with them through their lifetime. These habits are the way traditions are born.

The easiest and most meaningful lessons in life are those which are passed along sincerely.

We pray a prayer by Archbishop Hovnan, “Lord, my God, Your light shines upon me this morning. I lift up my heart to You and with Your blessings I walk to school to enlighten my mind and soul and to become a kind student. Lord, bless me day and night and I promise to live a meaningful life for your glory. Amen.”

 

Liberty

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Roots of Armodoxy: Liberty

Today is anniversary of Independence for the United States of America. This experiment in democratic principles of equal rights, general suffrage and government by majority is almost 250 years old. It is far from perfect, but still, the consensus is to strive for the “goal” as outlined by the constitution. The Declaration of Independence, signed on this day in 1776, claims that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

These words are beautifully and thoughtfully crafted at a time when independence was only a dream for a group who had escaped the tyranny and ties of the Crown. Religion exists inside of political realities. In the Declaration of Independence can be heard cries for the rights that true religion has advocated even during oppressive circumstances.

The Armenian Church has lived within monarchies, kingdoms, dictatorships, oppressive and barbaric regimes, and even through atheistic soviet society. The Gospel Message of Christ is greater than any political ideology and must maintain its integrity despite the political climate of the age.

After enjoying only a brief period of independence from 1918 to 1920, Armenia became an Independent country in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union. In the last 30+ years it has had its share of trials and tribulations, and sometimes it is tempting to be critical of system that sometimes brings with it social injustice and inequity for the masses.

Today, with the celebration of Independence Day in the United States of America, we have an opportunity to reflect on true freedom and liberty. We can appeal to history to see that at the turn of the 18th century to the 19th century, that is only 30+ years in the life of the United States, the country was far from perfect, there was slavery, there were disparities among classes of people, women were not allowed to vote, and the list goes on. It’s important to cut some slack on new countries, such as Armenia, that are going through their own growing pains.

It’s also an opportunity to reflect on us and our commitment to ideals greater than ourselves. We often talk about the Armenian Church as the oldest of Christian traditions. Yes, it does trace its roots to 2000 years ago with the person of Jesus Christ, but there is another reality, that of the Genocide. When the Turks wanted to annihilate and destroy the Armenian people they went after the Church. The Armenian Church was left in shambles after the Genocide. The reality of what we have today is thanks to what brave church leaders -both clergy and lay – have put together in the last 100 years, since the Genocide.

The greatest expression of Liberty is when we use our God-given power to create. Today is a day of committing to the ideals that we all find appealing and necessary for healthy living: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We pray for America, we pray for ourselves and we pray for our Armenian Church today. Heavenly Father, bless those who bless you. Give wisdom to leaders. Keep us vigilant in our commitment to pursue that which is necessary for our lives. And keep us focused on our commitment to work for peace on earth and good will toward one another. Amen.

 

The Connection that Binds

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Roots of Armodoxy: The Connection that Binds

The landscape of Armenia is riddled with ancient Armenian churches, monasteries and chapels. They are recognized uniquely by the cone shaped domes that point toward heaven.  If you go around the world, this design is the identifying marker of the Armenian Church. Whether in Argentina, Paris, London, Egypt, Australia, on one of the three countries of North America, wherever this dome is standing, with a cross atop its point, you know that an Armenian Church community is to be found. Each Armenian Church throughout the world is connected to all the others through an invisible threat that unites them at their foundation. Christ is at foundation, and the thread that ties them together is the Apostolic Tradition, that is, the Scriptures, the customs, and the methods that facilitate the mission.

Buildings from antiquity, particularly religious buildings, have an element of mystery attached to them and with that mystery comes wonder. We are first intrigued by the size and nature of the structure. We question the how – how were these stones placed on atop the other, without the use of machinery? How is the dome supported atop these arches? Next we are intrigued by the ornaments, and the weathering they have endured during difficulties.  How did the etchings and carvings reach such perfection with primitive tools? How have they survived natural and man-made disasters?

But if you dare to see the connection between all the Armenian Churches throughout the world, you start understanding that each time and age had their challenges that have been overcome through unwavering faith in the Foundation, Jesus Christ. In fact, most of the Armenian Churches in the diaspora were built in the aftermath of the Genocide. People who had every reason to complain, instead came together and validated their faith in Jesus Christ as their only hope for life. If you dare to see this connection, then you can walk into any Armenian Church in the world, even the newest, and find the mysteries that unite us.

Many years ago, while on vacation in the Southwest, my wife and I found ourselves in Albuquerque, New Mexico on a Sunday morning. There was no Armenian Church in town, and we went into the local Roman Catholic Church for mass. We attended and were truly renewed and invigorated after the service. It was one of the most meaningful celebrations of the Divine Liturgy we had ever experienced. And then it hit us! We had gone in to pray and celebrate the Eucharist. That was it. We didn’t know the background stories of the parish, nor did we know members of the parish council. Unlike our experience of running a parish, in this case we were not exposed to the day-to-day workings of the parish.

It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt. We might suggest that the opposite is also true, that unfamiliarity promotes admiration. Going into these ancient monasteries in Armenia should be no different that walking into your local church, but it is. The challenge is to find the foundation and the thread that ties them all together. It’s the challenge that will guarantee the harmony that we seek in our lives.

In the capital city of Armenia, Yerevan, the world’s largest Cathedral stands atop a hill next to a statue of St. Vartan the Brave. This Cathedral, named after St. Gregory the Illuminator, is one of the newest construction in Armenia. It was dedicated in 2001, on the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia. The modernism doesn’t detract from the mystery and wonder. A group of us went for Sunday worship, and found the thread that connected us. It’s there and the Foundation was firm.

We pray, Lord Jesus, open the door of your Church to me, and open my heart to understand the essence of the Church in Your presence within those doors. Whether in Armenia on any of the other continents, or even virtually, may I find the wonder and beauty that has been placed there from the beginning of time and proclaimed at your Birth: Peace on Earth and Good will toward one another. Amen.