The Book of Eli is My Book Too!

by Fr. Shnork Souin

WARNING-If you haven't seen the movie, then don't read this article.  If you have or aren't going to, then read on.

On Monday January 18^th, 2 days after its opening, I went to see the film "The Book of Eli" with 3 young members of St. Mary Church having heard that it is a "Christian" themed movie whose directors, Albert and Allen Hughes are half Armenian.

The star, Eli, played by Denzel Washington, seeking only peace and the fulfillment of a mission which he believes to be divinely commissioned, lives in the "post-apocalyptic" ruins of war and fights the malignant forces surrounding him not for himself but for his belief in the future with the goal to go "West" in order to deliver the "book" which God directed him to do.

Eli, takes his book and delivers it to its final destination having undergone every kind of hardship to keep the "book" safe throughout the story and keeping it from the hands of those who would use it for evil purposes.  Even the evil knew the power that the book contains.

During the movie, in one important scene, Eli, after wrapping the book back up carefully and storing it in his backpack, among his meager belongings, kisses the book.  I leaned over to Jon and said, "Eli must be Orthodox!"

Our diocese has recently published a book which I would pray would be sought after, read and cared for with the same zeal that Eli cared for his book.  The Armenian Canonical Bible is available for sale for only $20 for a limited time.  It should be in every Armenian home, not only to "kiss" and to venerate, but to be opened and read.

Our Sunday School has for many years encouraged our children to Bring your Bible to Church.  I know that all the children and staff have been given Bibles in the past.  The Bible is the unerring and infallible Word of God.  It is the recorded history of God's Creation Redemption and promise for all mankind.  It is the revelation of God's eternal love and hope.  We need to learn from the scriptures and open ourselves to God's Word that they may form us in Him, conform us to Him and transform us through Him.

Beloved in Christ, let us each covenant to read the scriptures, hold them near and dear to our hearts and make them the light of our knowledge and the beacon to direct our ways.  Let us not just "kiss" our Bible but by hearing it, reading it, learning it, trusting it and doing it, "learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law". Deuteronomy 31:12

 

Der Shnork