Memories to Honor and to Move Forward

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The manner in which a memory is articulated can honor the past, while at the same time bring healing, so as to ensure a forward movement from the event.

Outside the front doors of the Church of the Seven Wounds is a brass cross that looks like it was used for target practice at a firing range. Sadly, it was. In 1937, a group of clergymen of the Armenian Church were executed in an area called Haykadzor, a small section of Ani that is in Armenia proper, near the Armenian Turkish border. The Cross, with bullet holes and all, is displayed atop a brass sphere, which is also riddled with bullet holes. It casts its shadow on the names of a couple dozen clergymen, inscribed on large marble slabs below the cross.

An engraved marker proclaims, “The Cross of Haykadzor’s St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church fired on by Turk and Soviet atheists. The cross is moved here in memory the priests from the Diocese of Shirak who were shot.”

This monument, with the relocated cross and the inscription was placed in Gyumri in 2018.  The choice of words on the plaque was interesting to me, specifically identifying the culprits as “atheists.” With this word a very strong and meaningful sentence is imposed on the evil doers. It identifies the intention of the perpetrator and lays blame on them. There is no doubt, after reading the statement about what happened and for what reason.

Many times, our memories, especially memories of horrid events or traumatic episodes in our life, are areas that keep us stuck and living in the past, particularly in the case of unresolved conflicts. To label them for what they are, for instance with the phrase “by the atheists,” brings resolution to the trauma. The motive of the Turks and Soviets, in this case, is clearly defined with the phrase and we can understand that it was to eliminate the Christian clerics. The memory is identified, expressed and honored. This is a necessary step to live life in the moment and not to be hampered by the weights of yesteryears.

Jesus addresses a group of people (Luke 13:1-5) who were questioning a tragedy which befell some others when a tower fell over and killed them. “Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?” Jesus asks. He answers his own question concisely, “I tell you, no; unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” The past is over and there is nothing that can be done to change it. What is important for Jesus, and for us as followers of Christ is that we manage ourselves and change those things that we have control over. In other words, live for today.

Let us pray, Lord our God, you have given us a chance to renew each and every day, each and every minute of the day. Keep my eyes focused on the moment. Help me to move on from the past in a spirit of repentance, knowing you have forgiven me for past wrongs and the moment of today is before me to grasp and live in peace and harmony, in accord with your commandment to love. Amen.

Olympic Size Scandals

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Armodoxy for Today: Olympic Size Scandals

When the best of the best get together for the Olympic games, you expect fierce competition and good sportsmanship.  That was and is the intent of the Olympics. Countries and their people, who otherwise would not cross paths, are brought together in a healthy attempt – to try to get along on the fields, pools and arenas.

Controversies and scandals are par for the course at sporting events. They usually stem around cheating, whether by artificially stimulating muscles through drugs, or bribing a judge, or doctoring scores. People are on the lookout for those kinds of scandals.

Then there are the scandals that hit while people are unprepared. For instance, the Olympics are about sports, but a scandal arises in the opening ceremonies. These types are even more accentuated when they take on a religious tone.  Interestingly, the rush to the aid of God is great and so goes the argument that God is all powerful if He needs His lowly creation to defend him!

I read and saw the buzz on social media that a live tableau at the opening ceremonies was found offensive by the religious community because it was deemed to mock Christ. And the shout out was, “Blasphemy!” As I heard that news item, I read about the killing of innocent children in camps filled with Palestinians facing starvation. I hear and rehear stories of thousands being killed  mercilessly in retaliatory efforts. I watch as rhetoric is thrown around to justify inhumane violence. I listen to the calls for peace, while we all know that killing breeds killing, and the killings of today have created new scars that will last generations to come.

It is easier to fight for God than to promote peace, which begins with understanding and is complimented with mercy. There is no greater scandal than the desecration of life. It is the ultimate blasphemy. Listen to the words of our Lord, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” (Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13)

From the Book of Hours of the Armenian Church, Peace and life, Lord and Savior, give us Your peace, so that having found it, we escape from all worldly commotions so we may become a temple and a habitation of Your grace. Amen.

Olympic Second

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Armodoxy Today: Olympic Second

The Olympic competitions are unavoidable these days as athletes from throughout the world are competing for the top titles and the medals: gold for first place, silver for second and bronze for third. Of course, the networks that carry the actual games are busy sending signals across the globe, and everyone else is quick to report results, with an emphasis on their favored team.

I find the level of competition fascinating. We are watching world class athletes push the limits of their bodies. Take a moment to watch a competition and especially pay attention to how the competitions that are measured by time, such as a race or a swim meet. I watched a relay race that was decided by one one-hundredth of a second! I mean, how fast is that? It’s faster than the blink of an eye. Perhaps the flap of a fly’s wing? Let’s agree that it’s fast. Super fast. Now think about it, when you hear that the world competition is decided by one one-hundredth of a second, It means that the winner who took home second place, the silver medal was only off by a hundredth of second! You look at them standing in the winners area. The gold medal winner is standing there and next to the guy who did not win.

Now let’s be fair. The guy who lost by a hundredth of a second is indeed a world class athlete! Come on… even the athlete who comes in last place, is world class and misses the gold by only a few seconds. But all is fair in love and Olympic competitions and he has to step down and accept the silver medal. In the days of non-electronic time pieces, measuring such differences might not have been observed, but they are today, and the athlete who has prepared all of his or her life for this competition is set off by this fraction of a second by which he or she missed the mark.

I couldn’t help but make the parallel in Christian life and the notion of sin. Sin is simply missing the mark. It’s a term that makes sense in archery. Imagine a target with a black dot in the center of a series of red and white circles. Anything outside of the black dot, what we refer to as the bull’s eye, is sin. Some people hit the line between the red and black, others hit the space on the third rung and still others miss the target completely. All of the hits are in sin.

In our life, we sin. It doesn’t mean we are bad people, rather, it only means that we are people. Only God is sinless. Anything outside of the center – outside of perfection – is sin, or being human. And since we all miss the mark of perfection, ours is not to judge. Leave the judging for the Olympic games and focus rather on improving yourself. The difference between Gold, Silver and Bronze may be seconds, but in the sight of God those seconds melt into an amalgama called life.

Let us pray, Grace us, O Lord the vision to follow in the path of the saints. Strengthen in me the resolve to improve on the graces you have bestowed upon me, to exercise my soul with love and compassion, in my path toward the Kingdom. Amen.

Cover: Envato Elements

God’s Competition

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Armodoxy for Today: God Competing

Competition is another word for the Olympics. The best of the best come together on the world stage to demonstrate their athletic and physical prowess every few years. Yesterday we spoke about the competition for the prize, citing that the real prize, far from the gold and silver, is the love of God. There is no competing for His love, but the question is does God have to compete for our attention and our love?

It is rather a strange visual against the backdrop of the Olympics to imagine God in a competition for us! Unfortunately, there are many forces that compete against God and even more tragically they win! Yes, they call into question the phrase “Almighty God.” Sure, He’s powerful, but the “gold” He is competing for is our hearts. He’s running a race and the other athletes are fear, hatred, materialism, self-glory, self-pity, apathy, to name just a few of the contenders.

At the finish line, the trophy is us! It not that God isn’t fast enough to win, rather, the obstacles along the way – the hurdles – are put up by us! Just as God gets close enough to us, we set another hurdle for Him to overcome. Meanwhile, the other forces, including materialism and all of its lavish accessories, run without obstacles, and certainly we don’t put any hurdles in their course because they each provide us with a false sense of security.

Armodoxy is the testament to the true securities that God blesses us with, whether courage, spirit, love, strength, or focus, they are the blessings that help us win the victories of life.

The Olympics give us a chance to view the competition all around us. We don’t compete for God’s love, but He competes for ours, every day with the beauty and wonder that He sets up all around us.

From the Armenian Church’s Book of Hours we pray, We thank You, O Lord, our God, who awakened us from the rest of sleep by the grace of Your mercy. Awaken our mind for justice before You, so our eyes will see Your salvation. Come and dwell in me. Amen.

Olympic Prize

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Armodoxy for Today: Olympic Prize

The Olympics are back! Athletes from throughout the world are competing for the gold and silver. Every four years this tradition brings together countries under the umbrella of sportsmanship. The best of the best gather on the world stage and the planet watches.

Years of training and discipline are over in a few minutes. If they are successful they are remembered for a few days, perhaps week or months, until someone does better or sets a new record. And if they are not successful, then they are already forgotten.

There is a healthy atmosphere of competition displayed at the Olympics. However, competition is a double-edged sword because it may be necessary to win the games but it can lead to obsession which stands in the way of the true prize.

The gold and silver are the prizes we seek. The author of Proverbs writes, Take my instruction instead of silver and knowledge rather than choice gold; For wisdom is better than jewels and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. (8:10)

The true prize that we may be sure of is the prize that never loses value and it is a prize for which we never have to compete. It is God’s love. His love is guaranteed. It never gets old. It cannot be taken away from you. It is the last of the old-fashion freebees of life.

Armodoxy is the proof, the faith of a people, who relied on this awesome power against all the odds, a certainty of God’s love which is unfailing. It is the assurance of resurrection against the odds of crucifixion.

In the spirit of competition that is displayed at the Olympic games, understand that the true prize is God’s love. And then…, ask yourself, does God have to compete for my love? That’s tomorrow.

We pray today from the Armenian Church’s Book of Hours, “You are blessed Almighty Lord, for always accompanying those who call to You with faithful and righteous hearts. We ask You, to lead and guide Your servants on this journey so that we may be grow together with our loved ones in peace. Amen.

Okay to Live

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to Live

This week was an okay week in Armodoxy. We said it was okay to think, to question, to doubt and to have fun, and to top it off, today, we confirm it all by saying, it’s okay to live!

To live! It seems like a given, doesn’t it. No doubt, some of you are asking, why state the obvious? Tragically, it’s not that obvious for many. Religion more often than not, is presented as a prescription for all the don’ts – the regulations – that society imposes on us. Why the Ten  Commandments themselves are mostly – 9 out of 10 – about not doing something. The Old Testament has over six-hundred law, most of which are negatively framed.

Jesus’ message is refreshing because it is a positive message. Go and love! (John 15) Care! Help! Give! The blessing is in the giving more than the receiving! (Acts 20) Do unto others! (Luke 6) His parables are about acting, not withholding (cf. Matthew 25).

Christianity is enabling and empowering. “I have come so that you will have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) It is uplifting and celebratory. Yes, it is okay to live! The first Gospel, that is the first “good news” expressed by the Christian Church was Christ has risen! Death lost its sting! Life won over death and love over hate! The Armenian Church attests to this in its rich celebratory liturgies, and it does so with authority because the Armenian Church was there! We were witnesses to the Resurrection and the Victory. For this reason, the Armenian cross is always bare, as a reminder that life does not end at the Cross but continues!

We pray today, Lord our God, fill us with the joy of the Resurrection always. Keep us focused on the Victory of the Cross. May your precious cross protect us from enemies visible and invisible so we may do that which is pleasing to you always, to love, share and care. Amen.

Okay to Have Fun

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to have fun

What’s the difference between a church and a library? Most people will be quick to make a comparison to the quietness of both environments. In a library, silence is golden and whispers are rare, while in a church, quiet prayers fill the air.

The atmosphere of quiet solitude has stigmatized religion in general, and Christianity in particular, into a serious and solemn expression of life.

Jesus celebrated life. His call was for us see and experience the presence of God in all of creation. He challenged us to see our lives as beautiful responses of the Divine calling. “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. … Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Matthew 6)

Is it any wonder that the Armenian Church refers to the act of the Divine Liturgy – Soorb Pataraq ­– as a celebration? It is neither performed, nor presented. It is a celebration of the greatest gift that God has given us, the gift of life! To smile, to laugh, to be filled with expressions of love and joy is what we are called to do for they soare the greatest means of acknowledging and appreciating our lives.

Pride, envy, anger, greed, gluttony, laziness and lust, are considered the seven deadly sins, because they do not celebrate life. Think of each of these and their manifestations, they lead to sorrow and the sadness.

The Armenian Church is a place where the Divine Liturgy is expressed in musical form to engage all of our senses in a mystical dance in the Divine Celebration. It is okay, to smile, to feel the warmth of love, to sing with gusto, and hug with compassion.

Yes, we may compare church with a library, but understand that in one, silence is a rule and books are the treasure, in the other, whispers are prayers and peace is the measure.

We pray from the Book of Hours of the Armenian Church, Almighty God, make Your light of righteousness and wisdom shine forth upon us and make us sons and daughters of light and of day, so that in godliness we may lead our life and fulfil it without offence; for You are our helper and Savior. Amen.

Cover: Sharing and Teaching Fun in Church, 2004 Fr. Vazken

Okay to Doubt

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to Doubt

A week after Jesus had resurrected, the Apostle Thomas stands out from the group of Disciple by doubting the Resurrection. He is not with the others when Jesus appears and when they try to convince him that they have seen the “Risen Lord” he doubts their word. “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Thomas is forever more known as “Doubting Thomas” because of this hesitancy to believe and accept what was physically impossible.

My guess is that most of us would be just as skeptical over such news that goes against everything we know through experience. Every person who has been laid to rest has remained in their grave or cremated to ashes. No one, in our experience, as well as in Thomas’ experience for that matter, has ever come back to life. Resurrection begs doubting.

Doubting has a bad name. Many think it is the opposite of faith. Actually, fear is the opposite of faith. Doubt is the beginning of the questioning and reasoning process that leads us to understand, to accept and believe. It is the beginning of the Faith process. From doubt comes question and an opportunity to reason, think, process and come face-to-face with our fear. Having put away our fears, we come to terms with our Faith.

Doubting is a normal part of our thought and learning process. Stifling that progression of ideas leads to misunderstandings about ourselves and the harmony that we should have with life and the world around us.

It is okay to doubt. It is okay to question. It is okay to think/ponder the great miracle of Life. Accept the invitation that Jesus extended to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

From the Book of Hours we pray, Lord our God, my soul is in Your care at all times, and I trust in Your Holy Cross. I have the multitude of saints as my intercessors before you. You are forbearing toward all, do not disregard those who rely on You, but protect them with peace by Your precious and holy Cross. Amen

Cover: Kick off the Cascade, 2019 Fr. Vazken

Okay to Question

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Armodoxy for Today: OK to Question

Quick, think fast: Who was your favorite teacher in school? Who were the teachers from whom you learned the most? Chance are they were not the straight lecturer, who sat you down, infused your brain with knowledge and then dismissed you 50 minutes later at the end of the period. I’d venture to say the best teachers, instructors or professor was not a lecturer at all, but one who engaged you in dialogue. A teacher who challenged you by giving you material to ponder, wonder, ask questions, and form your conclusions was one who imparted knowledge and perhaps some wisdom.

Asking questions is a means by which we learn. Jesus taught by posing questions, by engaging his students and disciples in a thought process by which they came to know him, to know his love for them, and the high truths about the Kingdom of Heaven. Even the crown of his teaching, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) which is laid out as a “lecture” is a series of Q&A with statements stating the known and answering with the teaching. “You have heard…” Jesus would say with a given, such as “You should not murder, but I tell you…” he answers with his lesson for thought, contemplation and eventual learning.

As a loving and caring God, He asks us to come to Him out of love and a desire to know Him closely. We are all different with very different upbringings, dilemmas and joys face us. It is only natural that we will have questions. Why evil? Why pain? Where is joy? Finding heaven?  To each of us, He grants the opportunity: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Yes, it’s okay to think and it’s okay to ask questions.

We pray Psalm 4 today, Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness. You have given me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. In peace, I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Amen.

 

No Checked Brain: Think

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Armodoxy for Today: Okay to Think

Since 2008 I have been producing a podcast called “The Next Step.” Each episode is approximately one-hour long, that looks at trends in life through the lens of Armenian Orthodoxy. While I comment about different issues of faith and life, I always try to leave the audience with something to ponder, to stimulate thought and introspection.

One of our listeners once reviewed our show and wrote, “You don’t have to check your brain in at the door to follow Armodoxy.” This became a catch phrase in our intro and our promos. I was honored and flattered that the listener had expressed himself in this manner. In a conversation with him, he explained that many churches invite you in and expect you to “check your brain in at the door” and forget about reason or even common sense.

The Christian Church, and in particular the Armenian Church, has a rich Tradition with a message that is timeless and universal, that is it speaks to everyone. And as populations become more learned and expressive, the Church has to keep up and share the message of Christ as an essential calling to the world. Accordingly, it has to make sense. It cannot defy reason, nor common sense.

The oldest and most essential message of the Bible comes to us from Christ. While portions of the Bible predate the Birth of Jesus, the oldest message is revealed at His Nativity. It is the message conveyed by the angels, who proclaim the presence of Christ in the World. “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14) This message does not need qualifiers. It does not need to be explained or justified. It is the object of Thy Kingdom Come. It is the Will that needs to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And we find our purpose within the Kingdom as those who make His Will happen on this earth.

It is simple, logical, reasonable and makes sense! Peace is our goal and finding harmony with one another is the essential means of bringing about peace. Prayer, meditation, fasting, and using the God-given gift of reason and communication are the tools offered to comply with this revelation.

From the Armenian Church’s Book of Hours we pray, Peace and life, our Lord and Savior, the Only Begotten Son of God, give us Your peace, that You grant to your holy apostles by breathing into them Your life-giving and all powerful Holy Spirit, so that having found our peace from all worldly commotions we may become a temple and a habitat for Your grace. Amen.

Cover: Iron claw machine at Lake Sevan, 2014 Fr. Vazken