Pastor’s Points of Light : Vol.22:4 April

The Year of Youth – Carrying the Torch

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
Canadian Army Maj. John McCrae during World War I

Our Primate, Abp. Khajag Barsamian has officially declared the year 2005, the Diocesan Year of Youth with the theme: “Carrying the Torch”.  As stewards and children of the Armenian Church, we know well that the youth are the greatest asset that we have as a community and that the sacred mission of not only the preservation of the Armenian Community, but the proliferation of our ancient Christian identity must be transferred to them intact, with a flame so bright that it will light the way for another generation. 

This mission and hope was almost destroyed only 90 years ago, with the near annihilation of the Armenian race during the Genocide systematically perpetrated by the Turkish Government in an organized campaign of the ethnic cleansing of her Christian and minority citizens. 

Today however, fortified in the Christian faith and the beacon of Christ’s Presence in Holy Etchmiadzin in the free Republic of Armenia, the culturally rich Diaspora and even here in our parish we have the living proof that Christian Armenia does not only survive, but today thrives in the Light of God’s Grace wherever Armenians live. 

In contrast however, there is another evil working against our youth.  In America today, there are so many distractions that are trying to mislead our children into darkness and cultural-spiritual oblivion.  Materialism, commercialism, secularism[1], moral relativism[2] and finally indifference[3], ideologies that are corrupting our culture and destroying what is at the heart of Christian life--the family. Today fewer and fewer families are sharing fellowship around a family table, breaking bread and offering thanks to God with a common purpose, a common vision and a common faith, rather allowing the desire for the frills of modern society to usurp the place of family and a shared Christian experience—preventing the ability of many to carefully pass the torch intact to their children, the most sacred responsibility.  We must not fail in this sacred obligation and precious privilege.  The torch cannot be passed “drive-thru”!

The center of Armenian Christian life is the family because the Church is the Family of God who is invited to sit at Her Lord’s Table to share in the life giving Supper.  Theologically, the Church is the Bride of Christ who gives birth to spiritual offspring in baptism.  For this reason, the Armenian poet, Vahan Tekeyan says, “the Armenian Church is the birthplace of my soul.”

Following the integration of 3, 4 and even 5 generations on these shores of America, we Armenians need to ask ourselves, “Who are we?” before we can figure out what it is that we are to pass on.  Are we Americans?  Are we Armenians?  Are we Christian Armenians?  Are we Armenian Americans or are we American Armenians?  We find the answer in the living witness of the survivors of the Genocide who are still, but for a short time, among us.  Each year they are becoming fewer and fewer.  We need to hold on to their memory and pass onto our children the deeply rooted desire to live and the commitment to family and Armenian Christian tradition that these precious ones have.  Their testimony is one of Resurrection and survival, faith and family, of being linked to a Golden string of generations who refused to die at the hands of countless enemies, passing the torch of carefully from one loving hand to another.  They followed Christ their Savior even in the darkest hours, counting upon Him to lead them to Life and Light, realizing that ultimately their citizenship was not of this world, but of God’s Kingdom.   It is Christ who at once redeemed and enlightened Armenian culture and identity.  It is Christ who embraces His “Armenian” Bride and enriches her in purity.  She is our mother and desires to embrace us and to shower us with her love, her care the spiritual nurture that only she can give.

It is up to us to pass on this sacred Torch of Armenian Christian identity to our children, the sacred heritage of Armenian Christianity which was established over 1700 years ago and nourished by the blood of our martyrs.  They can only overcome the obstacles of this society with a firm grasp on “who they are,” which they can only learn from the example that this family transmits!

We must always be proud to let our lives and our works reflect our identity and our uniquely Armenian Christian heritage and experience.  What better gift can we offer to God than another generation of young Armenian Americans who will lovingly embrace the sacred torch and hold it “Hye.”

 

 

 

 

Prayerfully, In Christ,

 

Der Shnork