Tag Archive for: Peace

Stale Vision of War

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Armodoxy for Today: Stale Vision

The word “stale” describes food that is “No longer fresh and pleasant to eat; hard, musty, or dry,” says the dictionary. The word easily can be applied to nonedible items, even to the abstract.  A quick glance at the geopolitical situation of our world and you can easily apply the “stale” descriptor to visions that breed hatred, vie for power and lead to wars. As it states in Proverbs, Where there is no vision, the people perish. (29:18)

The stale vision of fighting fire with fire, that might makes right, or stratagems such as, appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak, only guarantee the perpetuation of wars.

Look closer at the holders of these so-called visions, and you’ll find they belong to older men who draft the young ones to fight those wars.

Jesus came to the world to challenge the stale visions with an option for life.  “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’” (Matthew 9) says Jesus, to a world that is desperate for a vision, a vision which is articulated by love and its manifestations, such as mercy.

Today we fund wars throughout the world based on stale visions which propagate more hatred and more war. Death, disease, famine instead of life, health and wealth. Think of the billions, if not trillions, of dollars that can be used to fight larger wars, such as housing and sheltering homeless populations, or truly finding meaningful solutions to refugee issues, abolishing slavery or physically transferring flood waters to areas devastated by drought or exploring new innovations in medicine and technology to improve the quality of life. Yes, life, health and wealth.

The stale vision of war is literally and figuratively a one-way ticket to death – “the people perish.”

As the Body of Christ, the Church, has a responsibility and duty to continue to herald the vision for peace as delivered to us by Christ, “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward one another.” This a sacred calling which is pronounced by God and heeded by humanity.

Armodoxy is a testament to the power of Life, and it comes from the Body that proclaims that power, the Body of Christ, His Holy Church. Here, Faith, Hope and Love are advocated, in the Divine Vision offered by the One who is The Way, the Truth and the Life!

We end today with a prayer by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. O God, we thank you for the lives of great saints and prophets in the past, who have revealed to us that we can stand up amid the problems and difficulties and trials of life and not give in. We thank you for our forefathers, who’ve given us something in the midst of the darkness of exploitation and oppression to keep going. Grant that we will go on with the proper faith and the proper determination of will, so that we will be able to make a creative contribution to this world. In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Memorial Day 2025

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Memorial Day Thoughts by Fr. Vazken Movsesian

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. 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.

And then, the Priest came down from the altar. And processed around the inner circumference of the church.  As he walks by the congregants, he holds a cross in one hand and censes fragrant incense with the other.

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 then 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.

In life, there are moments that are singularity and they demand our interplay at that moment, otherwise, they go by. Sometimes, events demand that we interact.

Today wars are taking place. Genocide is happening on the world stage. Ethnic cleansing is the plot. When my grandparents were exiled from their ancient homeland in Armenia and 1.5 million Armenians were killed in what came to be called the First Genocide of the 20th Century, and when they were left to die and starve from famine and contract malaria, they wondered how can this happen? How can good people, people who go to church, who believe in God allow such acts to take place.

The story continued in Nazi Germany, in Ethiopia, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, Congo and now in Gaza. I’m not talking about politics. I’m talking about humanitarian aid, because I can’t look at pictures of starving children and not think of my grandparents. Why do you think they call these, “Acts against humanity”? Genocide is not war, it’s the manifestation of hatred. It is fueled by pure hatred and prejudice. It may be manipulated by politics, but the fuel is evil, just as hatred is.

And this is where we come in. The Savior at the Center of our Church, Jesus Christ, is the manifestation of Love. We’ve never tried love as a solution. It’s more powerful than hate, just as light is more powerful than darkness, and in the Resurrection, we learned life is more powerful than death.

Yes, this is a moment of singularity in your life. Just like that morning in church, the opportunity is right now – you can interact, you can sit back, you can pray, you can analyze, you can read scriptures – but those children are still dying of hunger and bombs of hatred continue to fall on the innocent.

I share this with you on this Memorial Day weekend, in remembrance of all those who laid down their life for the freedoms we enjoy, for the freedom that allows me to share this message with you. We remember their sacrifice and pray that we learn from the ugly scars left in our world by these inhumane actions.

For today, I’d like to share with you a prayer that is an answer to Shnorhali’s nineth hour of prayer, Lord Jesus Christ, you who opened the eyes of the blind man, open our eyes which are blinded by hatred. You who gave hearing to the deaf man, open our ears which can no longer hear the cry of babies. You who loosened the tongue of the mute, open our mouths so we may share our voice for justice. You who restored strength in the legs of the paralyzed man, give us the stamina to walk to bring aid. You who opened the hearts of those who hate, open our hearts to give to those in need. Amen.

No Escape, Don’t Miss the Flowers on the Floor

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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.

Every Sunday, during the Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church, the celebrant priest, descends from the altar area and processes around the inner circumference of the church.  As he walks by the congregants, he holds a cross in one hand and censes fragrant incense with the other.

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.

In life, there are moments that are singular and they demand our interplay at that moment, otherwise, they go by. Sometimes, events demand that we interact.

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.

We pray, Heavenly Father, I see pain and suffering in this world. I have walked that path in the past. I said, Never Again. Today, grant me the courage to speak out against evil everywhere, so that I may have the moral authority to voice myself whenever evil confronts me. Amen.

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

Peace Aspirations via Empathy

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Armodoxy for Today: An aspiration for peace

On the last evening of a pilgrimage to Armenia, I sat in my room staring out the window at the sunset. The room was high enough to give me a panoramic view of Yerevan, under the majestic shadow of Mt. Ararat. During my trip, I had met with people doing work on the cutting edge of technology. I spent time with people who were challenging the norms and excelling for the betterment of themselves, their families and their country. There was real hope in the air.

I remember looking out the window and praying for peace. It was a simple wish: If this small but potent country could only have peace, miracles could and would happen. At the time, it was going on three decades that this country, which had known centuries of oppression, massacres, communism, information suppression, and even genocide, was now living in peace. I looked out at the Yerevan skyscape and knew we would see the best of miracles, if only there was peace.

A few years later, one morning a friend called me from Armenia. At the end of our conversation he said, “If only we have peace, we can do anything, we can aspire to the best and be the best. If only we have peace.” His call reminded me of my prayer that night. It was as if my prayer from a few years ago was recorded and being played back to me. His prayer was more current, though, and had a more urgent tone to it.

It is difficult to understand the pain and suffering of others from a distance. One of the core tenants of Armodoxy is a call to walk in the shoes of others. It is the expression of empathy, that is, to fully understand the pain and suffering of others, we must walk in their shoes.

Here is a small exercise that can help us fit our feet into those shoes. Those of us living in the United States might not fully understand the prayer for peace in Armenia, but we might begin by imagining a world where we were constantly being attacked by our neighbors in Mexico and Canada, to the point that we live with the uncertainty of maintaining our independence, day-in and day-out. Perhaps the example is not fair considering the size, power and geography of the US. Those of you in Europe, in Africa, or in the Middle East, where countries are so much closer and intertwined with one another, can consider a country such as Switzerland, if its landlocking neighbors, France, Italy, Austria and Germany had only one intention, to annihilate and destroy that relatively small country. Unfortunately, you don’t have to imagine, just look at tensions that exist, whether between Ukraine and Russian, Isreal and the Palestinians, India and Pakistan, the constant threats in Congo, Sudan or Darfur, and of course between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

And if it is still difficult to imagine, sit in your own home, in your house or apartment and picture all of your neighbors – every one of them, next door and across the street – wanting only one thing: to overpower, overcome and rid you from the neighborhood.

Walking in the shoes of others is a call to empathy. It is understanding that the only real and true miracle that we must pray and work for is peace. Walking in the shoes of others gives us the capacity to understand and once in the shoes, we must walk towards resolution.

Let’s walk toward that resolution, with a prayer today, appropriately from St. Francis of Assisi, Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Cover Photo: Lunabelle Beylerian, 2023
A young girl sleeps as her mother works to make rugs

Cannonballs and Butterflies

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Armodoxy for Today: How many times?

In the early 1960’s, Bob Dylan wrote and sang a beautiful song which also became an anthem for an era and a generation. In “Blowing in the Wind” Dylan asks a series of questions beginning with, “How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?”

“The answer is blowing in the wind,” is his answer to each of the questions. It is a folk song where the poetic words reverberate with the thoughts and worries we may harbor. One question in particular strikes me today, “How many times must a cannonball fly before they’re forever banned?”

The history of the world is a history of war, blood and violence. In the last few years Hamas attacks Israel, Israel retaliates hundred fold. Russia attacks Ukraine, Ukraine fights back. World powers choose sides, supplying weapons and troops. Still fresh in our minds, we witnessed the cowardly barbaric actions of the Azeris that exiled a group of people from their historic lands, against the backdrop of silence from the world community. And the same silent atmosphere prevails around lesser-known hotspots, particularly in Darfur, Sudan and the Congo.

Ironically, we can only wish that they were hurling cannonballs at one another. The art of war has escalated so far that the answer is blowing in the wind – a wind carrying debris, the stench of death and nuclear fallout.

Economically, people complain of higher prices, but concerts and sporting events sell out with exorbitant prices tags on the tickets and Amazon reports record profits year after years, with an assortment of products, from electronics to housewares. I’m reminded of another one the many voices of the 1960’s, John Lennon, who once observed, “If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.”

Could the answer to peace be as simple as that? That we merely must want it and, therefore, demand it? Certainly, we’re seeing Amazon rake in millions of dollars selling second, third or fourth television sets to people who demand it. Why are we not treating peace as something we want, and therefore demand? We have turned over the rights to geo-governance and determination to politicians and so-called leaders who have betrayed our confidence, to say it politely.

In these Armodoxy lessons, I’ve brought to you the message of Jesus Christ which the Armenian Church has followed for centuries. It is simple: Peace is at hand, our hands. God has endowed each and every one of us with the ability to create our story, personal as well as communal. Our eyes are before us, not behind us. Look forward. In Jesus’ words, “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) The answer may be blowing in the wind. Catch it and realize we hold that answer.

I leave you today with one of my favorite anecdotes of a young monk who is determined trick his master with a simple question. With his hands behind his back, he says, “Master, tell me, is the butterfly in my hand dead or alive?” The young boy thought he cornered his elderly teacher in a place he could not escape. If he says, the butterfly is alive, I will crush it in my hand, he thought, And if he says, it is dead, I will open my hand to let the butterfly fly away.

The master was truly worthy of that title. He looked at the young monk in the eye: “The answer,” he said, “Is in your hand.”

 

Prayer for Vision

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Armodoxy for Today: Need for Prayer

At noon today, January 20, the President of the United States will be inaugurated into office. There will be calls for prayers today, some will be offered publicly, while many will be offered privately. Whether you agree or disagree with the policies of the incoming administration, it is essential to heed the call to prayer. The office of President of the United States comes with an unusually unique set of responsibilities, and our prayers should come from a collective concern for the proper exercise of those responsibilities. We begin today with a prayer for wisdom and a focus on peace as he executes the duties of his office.

This year the inauguration coincides with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Dr. King was known for his work in the Civil Rights movement, particularly in the South during the 1950s and 1960s. He advocated and practiced non-violent resistance as a means of bringing about social and political change. Though he had earned many prestigious titles and even received the Nobel Peace Prize at the young age of 35, he would always emphasize that first, and foremost, he was a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and as such, his message and the direction of his leadership was to be in sync with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps less known about Rev. King’s work is that during the last years of his life he focused on opposing the Vietnam War. His Speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” delivered on April 4, 1967 at the Riverside Church, was a call to end killing – to end the war. The speech was his answer to his conscience, which did not allow him to stay silent in the presence of war. You may listen to the speech at the link in today’s show notes. You will hear a man struggling with the moral inconsistencies that he found in the policies of the nation.

In the Armenian Church, many of the leaders throughout the centuries have risen to call on the state to seek justice. They have empowered the people calling on them to accept personal responsibility. One such leader was Catholicos Mgrtich Khrimian. In the days ahead we will look at those lessons from the Armenian Church and will hear Khrimian’s plea tomorrow.

Today, we pray a prayer for vision, from the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., O God our eternal Father, we praise thee for gifts of mind with which thou hast endowed us. We are able to rise out of the half-realities of the sense world to a world of ideal beauty and eternal truth. Teach us, we pray Thee, how to use this great gift of reason and imagination so that it shall not be a curse but a blessing. Grant us visions that shall lift us from worldliness and sin into the light of thine own holy presence. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Fires Against Peace

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Armodoxy for Today: Fires and Peace

The journey to and through Armodoxy is paradoxical, it is rather simple to understand but difficult to implement, above all, it requires an open mind. Stories, clichés, phrases, and general conversations are filled with idioms that are seldom questioned or explored. Instead, we repeat them as part of an unbridled conversation. An open mind is necessary to dispel some of our skewed understandings of life, how we live and how we interact with the Divine. For instance, when we say, “They spilled the beans” we mean they gave away a secret and not that they were clumsy with pinto or fava varieties of beans. The expression, “Under the weather” has nothing to do with rain, sleet, or snow, rather it is a way of saying a person is feeling ill. There are thousands of these expressions that have made their way into daily conversations.

Some of these expressions have been repeated so often that they obstruct our reasoning capabilities so much so that we think of them as truths or axioms. For instance, the expression, “You fight fire with fire,” means to fight against an opponent by using the same methods or weapons that the opponent uses. However, if we think about it for a moment, we quickly understand that fighting fire with fire only makes the fire bigger! And so, if we use the same tactic an opponent uses on us, the “bigger fire” is the necessary kindling for war.

Armodoxy comes from Armenia, a land and people that have fought fire with water. Many times, the water supply hasn’t been adequate, but still, we understand the best way to fight fire is not with more fire, but with water. This model, for a land and people that have been attacked and killed by barbarians. They have witnessed the rape and pillage of their country and people, and yet, they have survived and dare to talk about peace… lasting peace.

When looking at the conditions of our world today, I realize that I have no other alternative but to talk about Armodoxy as a necessary way of life, especially today.

Jesus says,” You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.” (Matthew 5:38f)

This is a much tougher solution than fighting fire with fire, but as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.”

The world is playing with fire and we’re only fanning and fueling the fire at an unprecedented rate. Armodoxy demands that we have an openness of mind, and a sense of reason to see the ends apart from the means. To understand that that the end is, and must be, peace.

Let us receive the blessing from our Lord Jesus Christ, by praying His words,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the [a]earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:3-9)

 

Dad’s Tears on Veterans Day

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Armodoxy for Today: Dad’s Tears on Veterans Day

Few things made my father cry. Sarkis was one of them.

Sarkis is forever 20 in my head. He was killed in Vietnam on a day that I cannot forget. That day was one of renewal for the Armenians living in Los Angeles. It was the Summer of 1970 and for the first time a group of dancers and musicians had journeyed from Armenia to fill our hearts and souls with the ancient culture. We were at the Wilshire Ebell Theater and it was a crowd akin to a rock concert of today, with the same type of enthusiasm and joy. I think it was Levon Gasoyan dancing the Shepherd’s dance, when he demonstrated his acrobatic coordination, set to an Armenian tune and beat. It was the same dance I had seen Sarkis perform many times before his deployment to the war. Sarkis was part of the same ensemble in which my parents danced.

That afternoon in the Ebell theater Sarkis’ father loudly applauding and cheering the Armenian dancer, probably remembering his son as he watched this demonstration from the homeland. Ironically, was on that day, later, that we found out that Sarkis had died in a grenade attack.

The details didn’t matter to my dad. He’d never really talk about it to us. But we would see the pain in his eyes.

A couple of times a year, we would go to the Inglewood Park Cemetery in honor of family members that had passed away. Both my grandfathers’ graves are at this cemetery and later my grandmothers would join them there as well. There was a ritual we’d go through – purchasing flowers at the cemetery florist, driving to the grave, searching the tombstones amid the hundreds. We’d find one grandpa, clean the grave, place the flowers in the metal cup, say a prayer and listen while grandma would remember her husband. Then packing everyone in the car, we’d head over to our other grandfather’s grave. Same gestures of grave-cleaning, placing flowers, offering prayers, while the other grandma would have her turn to reflect here.

Before 1970, that was the end of the ritual. But things changed after Sarkis’ death. My dad would stop the car at Sarkis’ grave just before we left the park. We didn’t understand it quite well – after all, we were young kids. This dead person didn’t belong to our family. Why clean the grave? Place flowers? Offer a prayer? But as the saying goes, he who has the car keys makes the decision, and so we’d stop at this grave. There we would offer the same formula-prayer, but no grandma-talk, instead we’d see my dad cry. It was a silent witness to the big injustice of war. He couldn’t reconcile the notion of a young life being gone for a war no one understood. He’d shake his head. One time, I vaguely remember him saying something like “the grandpas died when they were old. There was no reason for Sarkis to die.”

We didn’t realize that there was more to my dad’s tears than Sarkis’ loss until many years later. It was at a local parade, when a group of military men – soldiers and veterans – marched by that my sister told me dad was crying away. He’d swell up with emotions over the loss of life during war.

My turn came at my dad’s funeral. I remember making it fairly well through the speeches and services both in the church and at the gravesite. But at the end of the service, when they removed Old Glory from the top of my dad’s casket, folded it and handed it to our mom, I lost it. They presented the flag to her saying, “This is for your husband’s service to his country.” My dad served in the Army during the Korean War. He never talked about it. He just was proud to be an American, understood the sacrifice to stay American and hurt that some people never had a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor or sacrifice.

I know it was more than Sarkis that made him cry. It was the price of freedom. It was the nonsense of war. It was the injustice of the pick – the poor and naïve fought the wars brought about by the rich and educated.

This year on Veterans Day I heard on the news that the President placed a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The newscaster may or may not have taken a breath before reporting the next story that more funds are being requested for the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel.

Today is Veteran’s Day. We honor the Veterans of all wars. Formerly it was called “Armistice Day” marking the end of the First World War. Either way, it’s connected to something for which we need to find a solution for the sake of our tears, for the sake of our lives.

Peace: Metaphor change

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Armodoxy for Today: Fires and Peace

The journey to and through Armodoxy is paradoxical, it is rather simple to understand but difficult to implement, above all, it requires an open mind. Stories, clichés, phrases, and general conversations are filled with idioms that are seldom questioned or explored. Instead, we repeat them as part of an unbridled conversation. An open mind is necessary to dispel some of our skewed understandings of life, how we live and how we interact with the Divine. For instance, when we say, “They spilled the beans” we mean they gave away a secret and not that they were clumsy with pinto or fava varieties of beans. The expression, “Under the weather” has nothing to do with rain, sleet, or snow, rather it is a way of saying a person is feeling ill. There are thousands of these expressions that have made their way into daily conversations.

Some of these expressions have been repeated so often that they obstruct our reasoning capabilities so much so that we think of them as truths or axioms. For instance, the expression, “You fight fire with fire,” means to fight against an opponent by using the same methods or weapons that the opponent uses. However, if we think about it for a moment, we quickly understand that fighting fire with fire only makes the fire bigger! And so, if we use the same tactic an opponent uses on us, the “bigger fire” is the necessary kindling for war.

Armodoxy comes from Armenia, a land and people that have fought fire with water. Many times, the water supply hasn’t been adequate, but still, we understand the best way to fight fire is not with more fire, but with water. This model, for a land and people that have been attacked and killed by barbarians. They have witnessed the rape and pillage of their country and people, and yet, they have survived and dare to talk about peace… lasting peace.

When looking at the conditions of our world today, I realize that I have no other alternative but to talk about Armodoxy as a necessary way of life, especially today.

Jesus says,” You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.” (Matthew 5:38f)

This is a much tougher solution than fighting fire with fire, but as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.”

The world is playing with fire and we’re only fanning and fueling the fire at an unprecedented rate. Armodoxy demands that we have an openness of mind, and a sense of reason to see the ends apart from the means. To understand that that the end is, and must be, peace.

Let us receive the blessing from our Lord Jesus Christ, by praying His words,

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5)

Axioms to follow

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Armodoxy for Today: Axioms to follow (and shouldn’t be challenged)

In the simplicity of Jesus’ statements, there are truths that may not be self-evident until a bit of thought is applied to the cause and effects of the realities the describes.

An axiom is defined as a self-evident truth, in other words, a truth that does not need to be proven. In Euclid’s geometry, for instance, “Axiom 5” states “the whole is greater than the part.” It does not need to be proven. It is self-evident. And the example of the axiom is found all around us. The Book of Acts is a book of the Bible. Accordingly, the Bible is greater than the Book of Acts.

Jesus made several pronouncements which are axioms, but unrecognized as such because of our dull faculties. One such axiom is being played out on the world stage right now.  When Jesus was being arrested his disciples ran to his aid. Jesus asked them to put away their swords because, “All who take up the sword will die by the sword.” (Matthew 26). This not a threat but a simple truth that violence begets violence. It is not even logical that violence can bring about anything but more violence, let alone, peace. But, people (read governments) are out to challenge it.

2023 October, the country of Israel was attacked by Hamas militants. In response Israel attacked Hamas installments and escalated the original number of casualties 40x, with human suffering that parallels the most atrocious situations in human history – including those in death camps, and the nations struck by genocide, with starvation and even cases of once-thought-eradicated polio! Caught in the crossfire, are the innocent, the weak and the voiceless. Meanwhile, nations and countries are picking sides and testing each other with bigger and bigger attacks. Billions of dollars are being sent to fight these battles, while possibilities to pipe water from flooded areas to draught stricken areas will never be realized, cancer research will suffer as will the thousands of other proposals to champion life.

He who picks up the sword will die by the sword…  of course! With escalating retaliatory actions, countries ensure that the next five generations (at least) will be attacking back in the forms of unannounced violence and actions that will bring terror and fear in the heart everyone.

This is what happens when Jesus’ message is confined to the church walls. His message is intended to and for the world. That’s how we know it is a Divine message. And as such, His pronouncements about our life are axioms, self-evident truths. Of course peace cannot be achieved by escalating violence because he who lives by the sword will die by it! Armodoxy attests to Christ’s Body, the Church, having an obligation and responsibility to proclaim Christ’s message to everyone.

We pray, Lord hear our prayer by helping us to hear Your prayer, the one which guides us to Your Law, the Law of Love which leads to Peace. Forgive us for ignoring Your words and following the direction of the world. Help us to make Thy Will on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.