Message of Fr. Vazken Movsesian, parish priest of St. Andrew Armenian Church, Cupertino, from the Nakhagoch Newsletter. Electronic version archived on: SAIN-- St. Andrew Information Network -------------------------------------- c. 1988 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- December 1988 "You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge; but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this." -Deut. 24:17 It is interesting to note that throughout the Old Testament, the LORD reminds his people of their past. At one time they were in bondage and God does not allow them to forget their sufferings when dealing with the present. Even more, we see from the passage above, that past happenings dictate the ethical norms of the present. It is our psychological defense system that is working when we forget those incidents in our lives that are troubling. We tend to forget problematic times and concentrate on the good moments from our past. Hence the axioms "Time heals all wounds" is proven true in our dealings with pain and suffering. The same system of forgetting pain applies collectively, when as a community we forget the hurdles we crossed to get to where we are today. (In our parish, many have forgotten, while others may have never known, the difficulty with which the early members of this church formed and organized this parish. Today, while our new building is being built, we are juggling the events of our church from one location to another in an attempt to hold the community together, yet in a few years, undoubtedly, we will forget the difficulties of these times and enjoy the new home we have built.) Our ability to forget is the reason why life is a pleasure to live--it keeps our outlook positive. On the other hand, we must also realize that each generation has it's own problems and sufferings. Those difficulties are equally important as any past trial. History, then, is something we naturally rebel against, yet a necessity in that it defines us today. As God continually reminded the Israelites of their sufferings-- "Remember that you were a slave in the land of EgyptÉ"--so too Armenians are reminded of their sufferings and sorrows when we recount the horrors of Genocide. As Armenians, our collective consciousness has been shaped by the Genocide of 1915. It is part and parcel of the psyche of most every Armenian as well as the collective psyche of the Armenian people. Likewise, just as God's reminder is not an end in itself, we must never remember the Genocide merely for the sake of remembering. God reminds His people so that they understand that they too once suffered and their suffering must mold the direction of their actions. They must be aware of the sufferings of others. Over the past month the disturbing news arrived of the bloodshed in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenians find themselves in a situation similar to 1915. In the past week alone, 28 people have been killed, since fresh unrest erupted between Azeris and Armenians. Today, official sources in Armenia confirm reports that tens of thousands of refugees, many penniless after abandoning their property in terror that they would be brutally murdered, have fled their homes, seeking sanctuary. Since February, as you recall, Armenians have been trying to exercise their rights to self-determine their destiny by asking to annex Karabagh to Armenia. We certainly remember the demonstrations and the prayer vigils we organized and attended earlier this year. Now we are at a crossroad. A challenging period of time when words must be backed with action. To say we are Armenian, is to define ourselves in relation to history. We are not Armenian because we have a fancy for dolma, but because we have a unique history as a people. Defined in "Armenian" is our past, is our suffering, is our tribulation. Also in that definition is our prosperity--who we are today. To say we are Armenian we must juxtapose our prosperity with our sufferings. We cannot sit still when our own brothers are struggling. God's reminder, "Remember you too were a slave," echoes in our hearts because we remember how our parents struggled to live. The prosperity we enjoy today is because they cared enough to fight for it yesterday. The issue of Karabagh cannot be avoided by an Armenian. Likewise, the issue cannot be avoided by the Christian. Christ calls us to battle, to fight against injustice. The question for the Armenian as well as the Christian is the same: "How can we sit comfortably as our brothers suffer, starve and are exposed to terror?" We cannot. We must take action. Unfortunately, oceans and continents separate us but this distance cannot stand in the way of uniting our hearts. Therefore, prayer is one answer in bringing ourselves closer with the struggle of our brothers. We pray, that God give them and us the strength to pass this struggle. Another answer is through our work. On Saturday, December 10, 1988 the St. Andrew parish will initiate a pilot project for the Cupertino area. We will be feeding the homeless. Ascension Catholic Church has donated their hall for this project, but we will be doing the organizing, the collection, the cooking and the serving. It is a pilot project, because if all goes that well, we will increase the feedings to four times a year and by 1990 we hope to do so on a monthly basis. Furthermore, we will be challenging other congregations in the Cupertino area to follow our lead. Hopefully, by 1990, the homeless in the area will have a place to nourish themselves throughout the month. In our area alone over 400 people live without shelter and without proper meals every day. In this count are men, women and children! We can find all sorts of reasons for their dilemma, but we cannot escape the reality--they are hungry and need to be fed, they are naked and need to be clothed. I must also say that I am very pleased with the tremendous response our community has shown this project. By helping those in need here in America, I believe we are united with the struggle of our brothers in Armenia. A child who is homeless and hungry feels the pain no matter where, or in what country s/he may be. Our history is loaded with tragedy and suffering, but bright days have always followed. As mentioned above, we must never forget our past--it must shape how we deal with life today. One may ask, "Why are the Armenians the first in the area to offer help to the homeless and the underprivileged?" One of the most gratifying moments will come when we respond, "Because we have known suffering, because we have known homelessness, because we have known starvation, this is why we are the first to rebel against these tribulations." With the Christmas season here, on behalf of Yeretzgin Susan, Varoujan and myself I wish you all a very blessed and merry Christmas. At Christmas, let us remember that Christ too came into this world hungry and homeless--there was no room at the inn. Yet He has found a home in all the hearts that profess His name. Blessed be the Revelation of the Lord. --Fr. Vazken -------------------------------------- c. 1988 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org --------------------------------------