Tag Archive for: Peace

Transfigured to Peace

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Armodoxy for Today: Transfigured Life

Part 5 – On the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ

Today we look at the practical application of the Transfiguration in our lives. Yes, that’s right, the Transfiguration is a moment in history, but it touches us today, two-thousand years after the event.

Reviewing, during the Transfiguration, Jesus radiates Light giving us a glimpse of his Divinity. On day two, we found the reaction that Peter had is no different than ours when in the presence of the Eternal. We are grounded in the secular and opt for the profane rather than the sacred, and so the challenge is to rise from the confines that bind us. The Call is from God to “Listen to him,” was the focus of day three, which is an alignment with Love, unconditional and pure. The Call transcends our ethnicity, nationality and our religious preferences, as we learned from the Vartavar connection. The invitation is to humanity and humankind. On day four, we learned that Jesus transfers the Light from himself to us – to everyone – giving an opportunity to participate in the Divine Nature.

On this final day, we bring together all that we have learned and understand that the Divine Nature is accessible to us all – young and old, rich and poor – so that the Kingdom of God is at hand. If each of us has within us the Graces and Love of God, our first and foremost obligation is to one another – to love, to respect, to honor, to understand, appreciate this gift of God in our fellow human being.

St. John, explains this:
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world… Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God… Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us… If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

And therefore, peace is possible, because the obstacles to peace have been removed. Seeing God not without us but within us. The Greek saint Nektarios beautifully proclaims, Seek God daily. But seek Him in your heart, not outside it. And when you find Him, stand with fear and trembling, like the Cherubim and the Seraphim, for your heart has become a throne of God.

Not only is peace possible but peace is at hand. The Transfiguration is a reminder that we are of God and our return to God is through the Love we express to one another. Once again, hear the voice saying loud and clear: Listen to Him!

We pray, Lord, I open my receptors, my ears, my eyes and all my senses to receive the Light of the Transfiguration. May I share that Light and see it in my brothers and sisters in this world. Amen.

Children: More than a Grammer Lesson

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Armodoxy for Today: Children’s Grammer Lesson

Somewhere in our education process, either in elementary school or in Junior High, we learn about the elements in a simple sentence. There is a noun and a verb, and sometime there is an object. The object is a noun or a pronoun that is acted upon by the verb. For our discussion, “Mothers bear children,” “Fathers love children” and “Parents raise children” are three examples of simple sentences with a noun – mother, father and parent – a verb – bear, love and raise – and, in a common object – children. Unique to this object is that it also defines the nouns. Without children, the words mother, father and parent have no meaning.

Today, children are sometimes the forgotten elements, not of sentences, but of life. We hear stories of celebrities falling in and out of love, and their children are a footnote, if even that, to the story. We are alarmed by cases of domestic violence, focusing on the barbarism played out on a spouse, without tending to the impact on children. Politicians – presidents, prime ministers and senators declare wars and engage in battles with a heavy cost on children, including the ones who are weaponized as soldier.

Jesus quickly turns the script. “Let the children come to me, for to such belong the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 19) Note, the children are the nouns and Jesus is the object. But this has not been a lesson in grammar, but a lesson on the primacy of children for God. Their angels, Jesus tells us, see the face of God. (Matthew 18)

It’s been said that there are no atheists in foxholes. A foxhole is a place below the ground used by soldiers as shelter against enemy fire.  The phrase is an aphorism to suggest that in times of extreme fear or threat of death people will appeal to a higher power. In other words, when looking in the face of death, even the atheist will admit to a God.

Many years ago, I discovered another place where there are no atheists. The night my first child was born, it occurred to me that there aren’t any atheists in birthing rooms, either. When looking in the face of life, in its most delicate and novel state, you realize that the loss of your emotions is a connection to something greater than yourself. The details of fingernails that are thinner than paper point to life as anything but an accident.

I tested the theory a couple of times after that first experience. Same conclusion: There are no atheists in birthing rooms. And there is no greater message of hope and love than children.

We pray a prayer from Archbishop Hovnan Derderian’s “Prayers for Children”:  Lord, my God, You created the world the day and the night, the skies and the earth, the waters and the land, the stars and the moon, the trees and the flowers. Let my prayer be a call for the peace of the world, so that we may cherish and embrace Your glorious creation. Amen.

Christ Call: Dare to Dream

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Christ Call: Dare to Dream

Next Step #793 – June 8, 2024 – Christ calls us to dream, to explore avenues that have not been explored, in particular in a quest for peace. “Blessed are the Peace makers, for they shall be called children of God,” says Jesus (Matthew 5). Our world needs dreamers. Hear two dreams – one for the exchange of bombs for water and the other, to implement a pardon in the face of hatred. Testing Armodoxy in a world of war and in dog-eat-dog politics: a Paradox waiting to be explored.
Links
Earthrise from Apollo 8
Gor Mkhitarian Music (Paradox)
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for http://Epostle.net
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Aging Vision

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Armodoxy for Today: Aging Vision

Today’s message is prompted by a radio news caster who reported, “The two presidential candidates are campaigning this weekend, sharing their vision for the future.”

Here in the United States it is election year. The candidates from the two major parties are well seasoned, in their golden years, or plainly, up in years. One is over 80 years old and the other is not too far behind. And they’re out about the country, “sharing their vision for the future.”

You must wonder, and at least I did, what vision? And what future? These octogenarians might have wisdom from living their lives, but are they entitled to set a vision for the future of the children?

Most casualties during war – battle-time fatalities – are to kids between the ages of 17 and 25. In Armenia, one of the most sobering moments you’ll experience is at Yrablur, near Yerevan, where tri-colored flags fly over the graves of soldiers of the 44 day war of 2020 and the battles with Azeris since then.

We may call them soldiers, but they are young kids who will never get older, kids who were called up to fight because of someone’s vision to fight fire with fire.

Here in the United States, we have a day set aside every year, in May, to remember those who paid the ultimate price for freedom. We call that day Memorial Day. For the parents and families of these children thrown into war, every day is a recurring nightmare called Memorial Day.

The future belongs to the young. With all due respect for our matured senior citizens and the wisdom they have acquired during their lifetime, I have to ask, have we created a world so great that we have the audacity to set a vision for the future of these children? How about asking them? What is their “vision of the future”? What are we afraid of? That they may say they’d like to enjoy life? That they may want to live without the fear of violence? That they may want a world that is free of the pollutant of hate and intolerance? That they may find a way to negotiate understanding?

We remember the sacrifice made by all those who laid their life down for something greater, whether for the ideal of freedom or the safety of their loved ones. May God rest their souls. We also take time to articulate a new vision, one for peace. In the words of His Holiness Pope Francis, “Please. Countries at war, all of them, stop the war. Look to negotiate. Look for peace.” (CBS 60 Minutes 5/19/24)

We end with a simple prayer, one which articulates the vision of God expressed on the night of our Lord Jesus’ birth: Peace on Earth, good will toward one another. Amen.

Cover: Yrablur by Luna & Gregory Beylerian, 2023

Dreaming Vision

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Dreaming Vision

Next Step #792 – May 25, 2024 – Expanding with Epostle as we hit the 12,000+ mark. Stories of evangelization from the Apple days and exploiting the technology for evangelizing Epostle-style. Remembering Darfur in 2008, coming from the Aurora Awards. Two octogenarians vying for the presidency, share a vision, meanwhile the young give their lives in war – those remembered at Memorial Day. First glance and unheard: A Palestinian Armenian speaks from the war zone in Israel, walking the talk. And much more…
Michio Kaku – Quantum Supremacy
Palestinian Armenian Speaks from the war zone
Pope Francis on 60 Minutes
Aurora Prize
IHS 2008 Man of the Year: Gabriel Stauring
Lala Abgaryan seeks justice for sister tortured by Azeris
Jackie Evancho Dream with Me
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for http://Epostle.net
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Cover: Luna & Gregory Beylerian, 2023

Conditioned Forgiveness – Lent Day 10

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Day 10: Forgiveness

Lenten Recipe

Recipe 10: Red Cabbage Slaw

Lenten Journey Day 10 – Forgiveness

Jesus instructs us to pray the “Our Father” prayer. We say, “Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name…” Along with the request to give us this day our daily bread, there is another request that is uniquely qualified. That is, the fulfillment of the request is dependent on our actions.

We pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is a conditional request. Very plainly, we are saying that forgiveness from God is dependent on our willingness to forgive. Additionally, we ask for forgiveness by the same standard by which we forgive. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against up.”
In the “Our Father,” (sometimes referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer”), Jesus has us focus on many different concepts… “Thy kingdom come thy will be done.” Or, regarding temptation, “Deliver us from evil.” Now consider this, that all of the ideas that he introduces in the prayer – heaven, God’s Will, His Holy name, deliverance from evil, temptation, and so on – and consider the complexities involved in these concepts, there is only one area of the prayer that he amplifies. After teaching the prayer (Matthew 6) Jesus continues his instruction about forgiveness. He says, “For if you forgive men of their trespasses your heavenly Father also will forgive you, but if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.” It is conditional. It is the one request we make of God on which there is a condition – put upon us by God (by virtue of Jesus’ instruction) and confirmed by us (by virtue of us reciting the prayer). What we are saying is that I expect to be forgiven by the same standard by which I forgive others.  This is a rather difficult one to understand and requires a more mature approach to our faith. In fact, we’ve been taught that God gives, God gives abundantly. We’ve been taught that God forgives. We’ve forgotten, however, that His forgiveness is dependent on our forgiving all those around us as well as forgiving ourselves.
Sometimes the word “debt” is used in place of the word “trespasses” and it offers a better metaphor for understanding the dynamics of forgiveness.  “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors…”  Let’s move from the spiritual to the secular. For the sake of this example let us think of it in terms of banking. Who can forgive a debt? Only the one who holds the note. Since the bank holds the note, only the bank can forgive the debt. How?
There are two ways of wiping the slate clean. Either, you have to pay off the debt (we call that a “mortgage” or a “ransom”) or the bank decides on different terms – renegotiating, adjusting, or completely forgiving.  That’s what God has done with us. God says, I hold the note on life. You are indebted to me for this beautiful thing that you have and enjoy. You have the smile of your children, the air that you breathe, the mountains around you and the spray of the seas. You owe Me! But I know it seems overwhelming and you feel you can’t pay Me back. So, I will work out a payment schedule so that you can pay off your debt. Here’s the deal: Love people.  Forgive people. That’s it. Love each other and We’ll call it even.
That’s it.
How will God forgive us our sins? By the same standard we use on other people. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” We’re driving the bargain. If we forgive, God forgives.  If we do not forgive others neither will He forgive us. Thus, we begin to understand that if we really want peace and if we want harmony, if we want to find the happiness in life, it is dependent on us and does not come about from some outside force. Many times, we think of peace coming from above. We pray for peace, failing to understand that real peace begins with each and every one us resolving to living in harmony.
God has already given us all of the ingredients for peace.  The recipe for that harmony is in the breath that we take. It is a blessing from God. And all of God’s blessings are the ingredients for peace. That includes the love that we see in the eyes of our children, the majesty of the mountains, the delicate nature of a flower or the crashing waves at the ocean. They all signal the presence of something Great, Awesome and Creative. That tells us that everything has been given to us. The entire universe is there to be enjoyed and to exist with in harmony. Therefore, the only direction where we must look for love and for peace is within. We need to reconcile with brothers and sisters, share the love that God has given. And this road to harmony and reconciliation begins by forgiving.
During Lent I’ve asked you to inventory different aspects of your life. Today I ask you to look to those who have hurt you. Who are they? Remember to look within and include yourself if necessary. Once identified, begin to forgive. Forgive yourself. Forgive others their trespasses, now you have the certainty, which comes from Christ himself, the one who cannot lie, that once you do forgive, God has forgiven you.
Let us pray the prayer of St. Nerses Shnorhali:
Beholder of all I have sinned against you in thought word and deed erase the record of my offenses and write my name in the book of life. Have mercy upon your creatures and upon me a great sinner. (I Confess with Faith 7/24)
Cover: The Peace Spiral – Created July 7, 2007. Gregory Beylerian
 
To learn more about Forgiveness visit us at http://7×77.org
      

Advent 42-50: Fruits

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Advent Day 42 of 50: Fruits

Jesus was misunderstood in his time. His call for love and peace was met with hatred and violence by the established religious leaders of the day as is evident by the judgement of the tribunal to beat and flog him and then execute him. Beyond the religious community, the people of the day were taking his words and finding a comfort zone for themselves. In fact, when Emperor Constantine called together the first Ecumenical Council in 325 with representatives from all the Christian communities, it was specifically to sort out all the different teachings ascribed to Jesus up to that time.

Jesus continues to be misunderstood even today as is evident from the many different denominations that confess different understandings of Jesus while operating under the Protestant Christian banner.

Jesus addresses this divergence from his teaching in the next few verses of the Sermon on the Mount.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Matthew 7:15-20)

Once again, even in describing “false prophets,” Jesus points to actions as the identifier. Christianity is a religion in the present. As a Christian you interact with the world, with people, with the friends and strangers, with those who respect you as well as those who are alienated from you. A Christian is identified by his or her actions and the fruit those actions produce.

Jesus can’t be any clearer, by your fruits you will be known.

We pray from the 23 hour of St. Nersess Shnorhali’s Confession of Faith, All-merciful Lord, have mercy on all; on my loved ones, and on those who are strangers to me; on all those I know, and on those unknown to me; on the living and on the dead; forgive my enemies, and those who hate me, forgive the trespasses they have committed against me; and dispel the malice they bear towards me, so that they become worthy of your mercy. Amen.

Advent 19-50: Imagine

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Advent 19 of 50: Imagine

These last couple of days on our Advent Journey we have spoken about Jesus’ commandment to not resist evil. The champions of good, by virtue of that title, are the heroes of folklore, history and even fantasy. All of them have left their mark by opposing and fighting evil, hence, the great disconnect between the good guys in our life and Jesus’ commandment to not resist evil. In Jesus’ case, his opposition to evil is not defined by increased violence. His opposition to evil came without inciting more evil.

John Lennon, in a song widely regarded as one of the greatest songs of all time, challenged us to Imagine, there’s no heaven… above us only sky… people living for today. Imagine countries… nothing to kill or die for… no religion… no possessions, no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man… Imagine all the people sharing all the world… and the world will live as one.

This song was written in opposition to the Vietnam War (1971) and Lennon himself regarded it as an “ad campaign for peace.”

In our encounter with Jesus’ commandments, and in particular with this one which asks us to not resist evil, we are understand that opposition to evil cannot come by adding evil to the equation. Evil + evil will never equal an absence of evil. We can’t fight fire with fire when it’s only reasonable (and preferrable) to fight it with water.

“Whoever slaps you on your right cheek,” Jesus instructs, “Turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.” (Matthew 5:39-41)

Absence of evil is love and so “love your enemies” is a natural next step, and a necessary step on the road to peace.

Within the Armenian Church, the phrase “Peace unto all” is repeated often in its seven hours of worship, and most notably during its Divine Liturgy. Imagine that, a people that have not known peace, and at the same time have possessed no military power or elaborate military strategy, and yet they proclaim and offer peace.

We pause today with an invitation and an Advent challenge, in preparation for Christmas, can you imagine an alternative to evil to resolve evil? Jesus’ call to “Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect,” (Matthew 5:48) implies that there are means that require us to use our God given talents to overcome the tragedies we identify as evil.

The Advent Journey is about preparing ourselves for the great Theophany, the Revelation of God. That preparation is through the struggle to understand – “imagine,” if you will – our existence as children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

We pray a prayer by Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind; in whom to dwell is to find peace and security; toward whom to turn is to find life and life eternal, we humbly beseech Thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, Thy saving health unto all nations. We also pray for Thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by Thy Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to Thy Fatherly goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed in mind or body. Give them patience under the suffering and power of endurance. This we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

An Invite Christians Can’t Ignore

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Next Step #783 – November 10, 2023 – Why Christians cannot ignore this moment in history. No need to read Revelation, it’s selfevident. Jesus’ message was peace, and it does not fit as an ‘addendum’ to the Old Testament. It is a New message, and a new testament. The challenge from Burmingham: A call and challenge to the Church and Christians everywhere. The appalling stories that demand answers. Genocide in the works: What happens when WWJD evolves to WWJS, WWJK and WWJB? Epostle takes first steps into the metaverse and returns with new programming.
Links:
Must Reading Today: Letter from Burmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr.
Epostle.net Daily Messages
Armodoxy for Today: Saints and the Power Within
Icons on Pushkin
World Vision at the Armenian Church, sermon by Fr. Vazken 11/5/23
“Now and Then” by the Beatles
Cover: Envato Elements
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for http://Epostle.net
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Fires & 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)

Cover Photo: Gregory Beylerian, 2023