Sin escapatoria, no te pierdas las flores en el suelo

Armodoxy for Today: No Escape, Engage

This last Sunday I stood in church next to a visiting clergyman. We didn’t have an opportunity to speak before the morning service, but when the celebrant priest went to the vestry to prepare for the Liturgy, we had a few moments to exchange pleasantries. I asked him from where he was visiting. He answered quickly, Ukraine. I looked over at him in the moment of the unexpected answer, and he quickly pinpointed for me a precise location: Odesa, he said. He serves the dwindling Armenian community there. I asked him if he was close to the fighting, to which he again snapped, Every day, bombs are dropped around us! We see them fall in the middle of the city.

The war was right next to me in this holy sanctuary. There’s no escape. The Divine Liturgy began but I could not get Ukraine out of my mind. I had just recorded my “Next Step” podcast (#802) the day before, with a call to activism against the wars. Ukraine, Gaza, the Congo, India, Pakistan, are all areas that are referred to in news stories. But, there I was, in church, with priest who was in proximity of bombs and gun fire every day. There’s no escape from the new reality. War is all around us and it’s invading all of our spaces. We can choose to ignore it, or take an active role in advocating for peace.

Cada domingo, durante la Divina Liturgia de la Iglesia Armenia, el sacerdote celebrante desciende del área del altar y realiza una procesión por el perímetro interior de la iglesia. Mientras camina junto a los fieles, sostiene una cruz en una mano y sahúma con incienso fragante con la otra.

There are a variety of reactions to his presence in the congregation. Some lower their head to ask for a blessing, while others kiss the cross in the priest’s hand out of reverence. Others smile and acknowledge his presence, while others are too busy reading the bulletin or perhaps scriptures. Still, others watch as he goes by, not interested in engaging in any manner. And of course, for those who are not there at that moment, the opportunity to interact is lost because the priest processes through the sanctuary and ascends back to the altar area to continue the Liturgy.

This part of the Divine Liturgy, is as old as Christianity itself. It symbolizes Christ’s descent from the comfort of heaven to live, walk and be among us, after which he ascended back to heaven. During Jesus’ life, there were many reasons and many different interactions with him, just like the congregants on a Sunday morning interacting with the processing priest. There were people who sought him for miracles and healings, while others engaged with him for a blessing or merely to touch his garment. And, of course, for many, the opportunity to be made whole was there and they let him pass by. They were busy praying, reading, rationalizing or philosophizing and, he went by, never to be engaged.

En la vida, hay momentos que son únicos y exigen nuestra interacción en ese instante; de lo contrario, pasan de largo. A veces, los eventos requieren que participes.

Today wars are taking place. Genocide is happening on the world stage. Ethnic cleansing is the plot. To stay quiet and/or to ignore the horror, is an opportunity lost.

Oramos: Padre Celestial, veo dolor y sufrimiento en este mundo. He caminado por ese sendero en el pasado. Dije: Nunca más. Hoy, concédeme el valor para alzar la voz contra el mal en todas partes, para que pueda tener la autoridad moral de expresarme siempre que el mal me confronte. Amén.

What more? Try The Next Step with Fr. Vazken, Episode #802: Unapologetic Apologies