Tag Archive for: Forgotten

Forgotten No More

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Armodoxy for Today: Forgotten no more

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been sharing with you different forgotten people, groups of people and things. Of course, the examples I presented only scratch the surface ofthe neglected and forsaken elements of our life and society. I am sure that as you encountered these stories with me, you had a chance to reflect on the neglected and unremembered that are all around us.

No one was forgotten for Jesus. He approached everyone with the kindness and love that we refer to as unconditional.

I used the theme of the forgotten to prep us for a very special period in the life of the Church known as “Advent.” In Armenian, the period of Advent is referred to as hisnak, from the word for fifty. Advent is a period of 50 days that proceeds the Nativity of Christ, or what is popularly referred to as Christmas. So great is this event that the Birth of Jesus Christ separates time into B.C and A.D.  (Before Christ and Anno Domini = In the year of the Lord) or what has been adopted as of late as C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before Common Era). No matter how you say it, in our world, time is marked before and after the Birth of Christ.

Ironically, we live in a world where the word Christmas has desensitized us to the gift which we receive through Jesus Christ. We are so consumed with lists, decorations, parties and gift giving, that we forget the Gift that God has given us, the reason of the season: Jesus.

The next lessons in Armodoxy are about taking that center point in time seriously, by coming to terms with the Person who is at the center of Eternity. As we go through the Advent Season, it is most important to remember the lessons of the Forgotten, so that when we arrive at Christmas the marvelous message of Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward one another will resonate in our soul not as some unattainable ideal, but an accessible way of life.

We will forget no more. Welcome to the Advent Season.

Heavenly Father, open my heart and my soul to the joy of this Advent season. Keep the meek, and the lowly ever before me so that I may never forget that I too am forgotten, save for the fact that I am a child endowed with the ability to love, feel and exercise compassion in all that I do, thanks to Your gentle kindness. Amen.

Forgotten Self Image

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Armodoxy for Today: Forgotten, part 10 – Self Image

Over the last ten days I’ve shared with you thoughts on the forgotten: both individuals and groups of people, who are on the margins or invisible to us. Jesus extended himself to these people, setting an example for all of us to do the same. He makes a point of saying that his actions are to be copied, as a requirement for discipleship.

At the Last Supper, he washed the feet of the Disciples and afterwards told them, “Do you know what I have done to you?  You call Me Teacher and Lord… If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

Through the years, working with Armenian parishioners, especially young people, I have been concerned about cultivating a positive self-image as Armenians, in the great “melting pot” of the United States. Most all Armenians that I’ve worked with are descendants of the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923). It is difficult to develop, cultivate and maintain a positive self-image when you have grown up with stories of loss and death. One and a half million Armenians were murdered, and the forced exile from their historic homeland created the large Armenian diaspora. The post-Genocide narrative has been one of self-pity and large-scale demonstrations of anger, against a tide that drowns out the voices.

Several years ago, I brought together a group of teenagers of Armenian ancestry to discuss their ethnic identity in a positive manner. Over a two days of candid discussion, they came up with a formula called, “In His Shoes.” Basically, as Armenian Christians, we are called to help others through compassion and love. But even more, since there was a time that collectively Armenians were homeless, hungry and oppressed, Armenians have the unique perspective of knowing the pain and suffering of the homeless, the hungry and the oppressed today. “We have walked in their shoes,” the young people pronounced, “therefore, we know and are empathetic toward the struggle of others.

Once a month, the In His Shoes mission gathers and feeds the homeless, with the only explanation for their actions being that they feel the pain of the homeless. Reaching out to victims of natural disasters, the sick and suffering, and especially other victims of genocide, are only a partial list of the philanthropic grass-roots work done by the In His Shoes ministry. No longer are they victims, but are they are victorious, so much so that their cup overflows with goodness. Walking in the shoes of others is the forgotten motive and response to the forgotten.

We pray today, Lord, you descended from Heaven to walk in our shoes, to feel the pain and suffering of humanity. May I be inspired to do the same, to walk in the shoes of the hurting and oppressed. Grant me the strength and courage to follow your example. Amen.

The Forgotten: Veterans

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, Day 7 – Veterans

Familiarity breeds contempt, they say. That is, the more you are familiar with someone or something the less likely you are to respect it. Tragically, that contempt can also lead to disconnection. Another “forgotten.”

Today is Veteran’s Day in the United States. Formerly it was called Armistice Day, recognizing the end of World War I on November 11, 1918.

We refer to military personnel, especially those who actively served in the military as veterans. The word itself, veteran, is a person who has had long experience in a particular field. For example, “He’s a veteran newscaster.” “She’s a veteran activist.” It’s in this long-standing relationship that contempt – forgetting the importance of their work – that people are forgotten.

Military veterans can’t be clumped together as a group. They are people who have taken a vow to something higher than themselves. The veteran is someone who loves country much more than his or her life. That is, the veteran is willing to lay down his or her life for the country, for something that is greater than the self. In the Gospel of John (15), Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus is referring to his own sacrifice, and his words define true love as a function of selflessness. He places value on friendship (harmonious living with one another). That value is measured by life itself – a willingness to sacrifice life for the benefit of the greater good. The sacrifice made by veterans has the greatest value of anything or any action, because the measuring “currency” is more precious than silver, gold and even platinum. That’s why we refer to it as paying the ultimate price: life itself. And that is why, they cannot be forgotten.

On this celebration of Veteran’s Day, there is a simple test for each of us to take. Ask yourself, what are the things that are most important to me? What are the things for which I would be willing to give up my life.

Now ask yourself, if I’m willing to die for it, am I willing to live for it?

If we are willing to die for Christ, our country, our family, or our friends, then the more important question we must ask ourselves is, am I willing to live for Christ, live the virtues of my Faith? The ideals of my country? With love for my family? Armodoxy is the proof that living out Christian principles is much harder than dying for them.

We pray Psalm 27, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shalI I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after, “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” Amen.

Forgotten: Prayer from Prison

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, part 6 – Prayer from Prison

Jesus reached out to the forgotten. I’ve shared with you some stories over the past several days of people and groups of people who are forgotten. I’ve looked in. Today, I wish to look out from their world.
I shared with you only briefly the plight of Silva, a woman who was abused, mentally, emotionally and physically for 25 years, and now sitting in prison, where she has been for 18 years.
Today’s message comes to us by way of a prayer, a prayer which she has offered up to God, and shares with us.

She calls it, Tormenting Times.

Lord give me patience to
Process my unfortunate circumstances
Help me heal from all the hurt and betrayal
My faith in You has always been strong
Give me the courage to go on
I shall take your commandments seriously
My beliefs are being tested
I can’t stop my tears from flowing
Embattled with sleeplessness
Thankful for the numerous embraces
I am now known as the desolate one
Tormented with sadness
Let my disrupted emotions subside
Allow my enclave to become my sanctuary
My despair has made me hopeless
Lift me up with inspiration
Relieve my sanity
Help me be at peace again.

Amen.

Forgotten: Point of View

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten part 3, Point of View

Not everything that is “forgotten” is due to our failure to see or to remember. Don’t discount the role of the editor, the broadcaster or the storyteller in what is remembered and what is not.

I often think about how news reaches us. I’ve had occasion to watch the news outside the United States. What strikes me is the way the news is presented. It was like watching a sitcom without a laugh-track, that is, there were no cues to when to laugh and when to cry, and the news was weighty, meaty and of substance.

Here in America, news is presented with a peppering of humor and entertainment, as a sidenote to the tragedies that take place. As bad as things may be – a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a hurricane which claimed thousands of lives – it is never so great that they can’t give you the latest football or basketball scores. Wars can escalate to genocide and scenes of cities destroyed by bombs can fill up our visuals, but fear not, the next news item is about a rapper or singer who has won a Grammy award, or better yet, will be entertaining at the Superbowl halftime event!

The consumer of that news eventually loses perspective about the weight and gravity of the different news items. Two hundred people killed in a hurricane is a tragedy with grave consequences. The love life of a celebrity may be of interest to a very large audience, but is it as weighty as the other story? Yet, the juxtaposing of these two stories back-to-back dilutes the magnitude of the consequential story. Think of your social media feed. The story about the escalation of nuclear weapons by countries is on the same feed as the picture of your neighbor sharing a funny experience with their dog. The two stories do not have the same weight or impact on life, but their positioning together desensitizes us to truly large events and stories that carry impact.

News editors are charged with arranging items such that they will be alluring and attractive to the viewer. It is the news editor and the production staff that decides which stories are worthy of broadcast and which are forgotten. Hence, the decision is made to prioritize news items for us, the consumers. Language, the perspective and the way a story is revealed, is adjusted to accommodate their goals.

Think of how we have been desensitized to the atrocities that took place in Gaza. In October 2023, Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage in Isreal. Israel retaliated by proclaiming war on the Palestinians and at the end of two years close to 70,000 Palestinians were killed. During the war Gaza was obliterated. We kept hearing the numbers. It is easy, and in fact it is natural, to compare the numbers and the scale of the war on both sides. That’s where they want you to look, instead of looking at the human side of this tragedy. Which child – the Israeli or the Gazan – is not mourned by their family? Which person – the Israeli or the Gazan – did not bleed when struck down?

We have forgotten humanity.

In Gospel of Matthew, chapter 9, a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus. Jesus turns to him and says, “Your sins are forgiven.” He did not see the physical trappings of this man. Jesus did what he knew was necessary, to heal the man of his spiritual baggage. The people were incensed at Jesus. Who can forgive sin but God? they asked. Jesus answered, “…which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’  or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And he arose and departed to his house.

The people who brought this man to Jesus had forgotten that he had a soul, he had a spirit. But he was not forgotten by Jesus. The man was not to be identified only by the confines of his physical body. There was another way of understanding the picture. It was by God’s rules and not by any other. We will continue tomorrow.

For today, we pray, “Lord, have mercy. Amen”

The Forgotten, part 1: Why?

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Armodoxy for Today: Part 1 – The Forgotten, Why?

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, we read that as Jesus was passing by the gate of the city of Nain, a funeral procession was taking place. The Gospel narrative gives us these details, the dead man was “the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.” (12-15)

The details in this story are not randomly placed here. When reading the Gospels in general, you’ll find that Jesus has a special concern and care for widows. In this story, these details – that the dead man was the only son of a widow – are essential to understanding Jesus’ compassion and why Jesus reacted the way he did. In the society of that day and age, women were identified by their fathers, their husbands, and in the event that they were widowed, by their male sons. In this story, we find the widow has lost her only son, and therefore, she will be an outcast, betrayed to a life of indigence.

Jesus paid attention to the forgotten, to those who slip through the cracks become shadows.

In my personal library I have a large selection of books related to genocide, more specifically, about the Armenian Genocide. One book stands out. Its name in large block letters on the binding call out “The FORGOTTEN GENOCIDE.” As the grandson of Armenian Genocide (1915-23) survivors, I am very sensitive to the plight of the forgotten. As a priest, committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the forgotten are part of my mission.

In this miniseries of daily messages, I’ll be sharing with you a few stories of forgotten people, from Sudan to a prison which has housed a victim of domestic violence for 18 years. Yes, you heard right a victim, a survivor, of domestic violence, who is forgotten in a prison cell. These stories, I will present over the next days, as today’s widows, today’s only son’s mothers, who have God’s attention and deserve ours.

Lord Jesus Christ. You did not turn away from the forgotten children of the world. With your actions, you taught us to extend ourselves to hurting, to the forgotten, as a reminder that before God, there is no one who is forgotten. We are all His children. Fill my heart with compassion to extend myself beyond my reach. Amen.

Message Not to be Omitted

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Armodoxy for Today: The Message

When we proclaim our faith about Jesus Christ, we often do so about the person and inadvertently forget a fundament element of the faith, namely the message he preached. In the Nicene Creed, adopted in 325AD by the Church and recited in churches throughout the world every Sunday, we proclaim our belief in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and the exclusivity of the Holy Church. We have shorter forms of the profession of faith, one of which is confessed by the godfather during baptism in the Armenian Church. In the Western churches, such as the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, the Apostles Creed is pronounced. In St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer of the 4th hour, we read an even more abbreviated form about Jesus, the Son of God, “Who descended from the bosom of the Father, and took flesh of the Holy Virgin Mary for our salvation, who was crucified and buried, and rose from the dead and ascended to the Father.”

In all of the creeds and professions of faith, the person of Jesus, the Son of God, is defined. What is missing is his message, or even more simply, mention or reference of his message. I use the word “missing” rather than “omitted” or “forgotten” because I believe the development of these creeds were products of the times and societal needs. In the case of the Armenian Church, her constituency during the early centuries was homogeneous. The people attending church and shared common values and so it wasn’t necessary to reference the message in a creed.

Armodoxy is about taking that ancient faith and placing it in today’s world and society. In a globalized society, where many different messages are vying for your attention, Jesus’ message can easily be dismissed, omitted or even forgotten because of the zealous efforts to proclaim Jesus as superior to other choices. Mature faith understands that it is Jesus’ message, that is unique and superior to all else. In his message we understand the fulness of the statement that God is love. Jesus’ message is what connects us to the beginning of time, and therein we find the Divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. “I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.” (John 7:28)

Let us pray St. Nersess Shnorhli’s prayer of the 4th hour, with addendum, Son of God, true God, who descended from the bosom of the Father, and took flesh of the Holy Virgin Mary for our salvation, [who taught the message of true love and compassion, with his words and his life,] who was crucified and buried, and rose from the dead and ascended to the Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before You, remember me like the robber when You come into your kingdom. Amen.

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