Tag Archive for: eternity

Pre-existent Light

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Armodoxy for Today: Light

Over the last 50 years or so, people who have succumbed to heart failure have been brought back to life thanks to developments in medicine and better methods of resuscitation. It is interesting to note the experiences of the victim/survivors, upon being revived. Many describe being in the presence of a calming and warm light. Yes, light is being described not by kilowatts or power, but by temperature, by warmth, they say.

I have had the pleasure of knowing a couple of these survivors and I found that there is no denying the reality they experienced on the “other side” of life. They understand people’s skepticism over their experience, but they won’t renege on their story: they were dead, they felt a warm light and then they returned from death. Some will also add that they had an out-of-body experience, where they witnessed themselves being resuscitated from a birds-eye view. In the end, they returned to tell of their experiences.

Within the Judeo-Christian tradition, the first creation story written in Genesis begins with God creating light (1.2) on the first day. It is interesting because the qualifier of what we consider “light,” that is, the sun, doesn’t appear in this account until the fourth day! (1:14-19)

Light is the first thing that is created. And whether you take the story of creation metaphorically, mythically or literally, you have to admit that the placement of the creation of light as the first act of the story (before the Sun) points to a light that is quite different than what we understand when we open the window or turn on the switch. It is a light that can be measure in intensity and warmth.

This week we have been looking at the Biblical passage John 3:13-21, which was the Sunday lectionary reading. We come to understand that Jesus Christ was there in the beginning, before time and matter. He is Divine. Reading on, we find in the passage that we connect true love with the sacrifice of the Cross.

Today we focus on the concluding words of the passage: … the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

Therefore, in a passage which begins by placing Jesus at the beginning of time, it concludes with an explanation of Jesus’ proclamation, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The Armenian Church prescribes this passage on the third Sunday following Theophany for a reason. When God is revealed – whether as presented by Matthew & Luke with manger, kings, shepherds, the inn and all the nativity props, or by John’s placement of Jesus at the beginning of time – the Light is present. It is light defined by something greater than photons and powered by wattage. It is the Light eternal. It beckons us to walk, pray, meditate and grow in the Eternal Presence of God.

Let us pray, Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer of the 21st hour, O Christ, True Light, make my soul worthy to behold with you the light of Your glory, in that day when You call me and to rest in the hope of good things in the mansions of the just until the day of Your glorious coming.” Amen.

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Advent 49-50: Becoming Flesh

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Advent Day 49 of 50: Becoming Flesh

The third Nativity narrative I spoke of is quite different from the other two we heard yesterday. Without Wise Men and in the absence of the shepherds we read the narrative from the Gospel of John. It is not a story from 2000 years ago, but from the beginning of all time and eternity. It connects us not to Bethlehem, Egypt or Nazareth. Instead it links us to the first seconds of recorded time, where eternity finds definition, where emptiness takes form and light pierces the darkness. In a sense, it is a cosmic revelation because it defies space and time. Shepherds and wise men, we all understand. But this narrative is for those who have heard the essential truths and teachings of Jesus Christ. Here then, we hear the narrative of the Theophany, the Revelation of God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John 1:1-18)

Cover: Icon of St. Anna, St. Mary and Jesus

Eternity at Datev

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Roots of Armodoxy: Datev

Albert Einstein’s E=mc2 is one of the most recognized scientific notations by non-scientists. At most, people know it has something to do with time and space, though the mechanics escapes them. At the least, people know it is connected to Einstein and the theory of relativity. Around the same time Einstein was putting together the formulas for the general theory of realtify, American write, Henry Van Dyke was stating the relativity of time in these terms, “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” That’s right, time is relative. It moves according to the vantage point of the observer.

At the end of time is eternity. It is difficult to accept and impossible to comprehend. Eternity exists in the absence of time, and as such is goes counter to all of our natural experiences. We may use words and phrases such as forever-and-ever but they describe time, not eternity. One such place where we come close to touching eternity, however, is at the monastery of Datev* or Datevivank. It is found in the Syunik Province in southeastern Armenia. Nestled in the forests, atop a hill, the Monastery is a marvel of Armenian architecture. Stone-placed-upon-stone, the shell of the church holds within it a very sacred space where the energy is so strong that time seems to be bent. While at Datevivank, you can experience eternity because time is absent. Though the structure itself is finite, inside you lose yourself to the marvel of faith that has constructed this shrine.

Datev is the reason why people look up when they think of heaven or eternity. On this hilltop some of the greats of the Armenian Church have lived and been inspired, including St. Gregory of Datev (14th century) who is entombed inside the sanctuary. He was a theologian and philosopher whose influence on the church is felt to this very day. During the early part of the 20th century, as the Genocide was coming to an end, the Datev Monastery was the inspiration and backdrop for greats such as Garegin Njteh as he chartered out the course for a new and independent Armenia, with his priorities expressed in a trilogy of ideas, God, the Nation and the Fatherland.

As we were visiting this bit of heaven on earth, a service uniting heaven and earth was taking place. The head of the monastery, Fr. Michael was administering the sacrament of baptism on a young boy of nine or 10 years of age. The boy’s godfather was a worker from one of the local villages. Those in attendance to witness the Christening were the boy’s immediate family and us, a group of pilgrims open to the blessing that may come our way.

Fr. Michael baptized and confirmed the boy with holy Miuron and then offered a prayer of thanksgiving, “We thank you Lord for replenishing your Church with this new servant of yours.” That word, “Replenishing” was the key to eternity. Here on this high peak, inside this monastery, in the witness of simple people, a miracle was taking place. Eternity was taking form; the continuity of space and time unfolded in our presence. At Datev we may not have comprehended eternity, but we did understand that eternity is not something to come but is in our midst right now. Henry David Thoreau expresses it concisely, “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”

Fr. Michael turned to us and gave us a blessing. He is a simple monk of the Armenian Church who understands the power of uniting us with eternity. For those moments at Datev, we saw and were united to the vastness of eternity, and with the certainty of the continuity of life.

We pray today, “Heavenly Father, we say that to You belong the Kingdom of Eternity. May we be in your Divine presence, in that eternity, now, as well as forever. Amen.”

* The Armenian name Տաթեւ, maybe be transliterated into Latin characters as Datev or at Tatev.

Cover Photo: Fr. Vazken 2023

Lenten Journey Day 20 – Seeing from Above

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Lenten Recipe

Recipe 20: Hot and Sour Soup

Day 20 – Seeing from Above

You’ve made it! You are at the half-way mark of this Lenten journey. Twenty days behind you, twenty days in front of you. You are at the summit, in a sense, looking out from the mountain top and seeing all things below you. You notice the path that you have taken over the last twenty days. Your food intake is restricted but your prayer life is unfastened and more focused than it was before you started. You are being challenged to accept Christianity on Christ’s terms, that is, you are placing the Christ’s teachings of love, of care, of honor and humility into action. And that is only when you look back. Now, take a look forward at the path for the next twenty days. You quickly realize that at the end of that path it merely connects to a longer road: the journey of life.

From this vantage point – looking from above, from the summit – you see your past and your future, and realize that you are standing at the most beautiful and most critical place of all; that is, you are in the present. The one truth that connects you not only with the past and the future, but also allows you to understand this expedition as one step in the bigger journey of life, is the harmony you feel with all things and people around you. This is an expression of being united with God. In fact, God is the eternal present. He is the “I Am.” Not the “I Was” nor the “I Will Be” but the “I Am” and our connection with God is our link to the beginning of time and our roadmap on the course to eternity.

On this third Saturday of the Lenten season, the church directs our attention to a group of men who stand at the summit of all spirituality. Some of the saints remembered by name are St. John of Odzoun, St. John of Vorodon and St. Gregory of Datev. When we remember these Church giants during Lent, we see the example they left of connecting to a higher life. By being elevated to sainthood we understand that they are human, like you and me, with all the frailties, difficulties and challenges that life gives us be they spiritual, emotional or physical. Yet these people rose to the occasion. They followed God’s path and stood at the summit, at the top, looking out at a life that is full and abundant. Looking out at the beauty that God has created all around them and offering their spirits to the world. Ultimately, isn’t that our purpose? We strive to be at harmony with all those around us, to strengthen our relationships with people, with life itself. In that harmony, we can look from the summit, look from above, at a world that is so beautiful that we now offer ourselves, our souls to the collective, to the mix of life.

Today’s message is perhaps the most profound message of all. We are standing at the summit when we are appreciative of all that God has given us. In the act and spirit of thanksgiving we realize that we indeed have a beautiful vantage point of life. We are at the summit and can look all around. We begin sensing with our hearts because our hearts are now sensitive to the wonders all around, to the sounds, to the sights, to the smells, the tastes, the touch of beauty. Today we come to terms with the value of this journey and the road ahead. The path ahead? It is a downhill. We’re going to make it! We’re going to make it not only through the next twenty days, but we’re going to make it through life.

As difficult as life gets, we now have the tools, the confidence, the discipline and we are going to make it. This is one of the most beautiful lessons that come to us from the Lenten season: that God really has given us all the tools necessary to fight the battles and gives us all the strength necessary to overcome our difficulties. Ours is to confide and trust in Him. We are confident to know that this path is a simple one because, it is the path of life.

We conclude with prayer of St. Nerses Shnorhali,
All mericiful Lord, have mercy on all Your faithful, on those who are mine and on those who are strangers. On those whom I know, and on those whom I know not, on the living and on the dead. Forgive all my enemies and those who hate me the trespasses they have committed against me. Turn them from the malice they bear toward me that they may be worthy of your mercy. Have mercy on all your creatures, and on me, a great sinner. Amen. (I Confess with Faith 23/24)

Life after Analysis

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Next Step #469: Picking up on Sheryl Sandberg’s reflections on Life after Death (Time Magazine) Fr. Vazken challenges to find life after analysis. Can we teach eternity? Faith? Life? The value of analysis and the need for action. Communication basics in a hyper-communicative world. Beyond the AC101 series: What’s next? In the aftermath of the Oregon killings.
Asa Inch Anem: Armenian Song & Dance Ensemble
ArmComedy on Conan
Epostle & Armodoxy Video Channel
AC101 Playlist (26 videos)
Mashdots Jobanian Bible Study (Avedaran Channel)
Life After Death (Sheryl Sandberg, Time Magazine)
“I am still hungry…” (poem)
Louis CK clip
Oregon Killings
Reclaim Conference: http://embracing-faith.com/
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