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. 1989 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- May 1989 PRIEST'S MESSAGE FROM FOXHOLES TO TEST TUBES TO CHINA It has been said, "There are no atheists in foxholes." I can add to that: there are no atheists in delivery rooms. However, the discovery of faith at these two anxious moments is for two distinct reasons. In the foxhole, faith is found in fear. There is a search for faith in the expectation of a miracle. In the delivery room, faith is found in the expression of a miracle. It was the expression of a miracle that Yeretzgin Susan and I experienced on May 11th with the birth of our second son, Sevan Ian. There cannot exist a man-- with brains, who thinks, with an ounce of sense--who can deny the existence of God when in the presence of such a miracle. To dismiss life as pure chance, that it "just happens" is the greatest denial of reason and common sense. When we are tempted to question the existence of God, when we wonder if there are miracles, when we become confident of the technology that surrounds us, let us take a look at a baby's fingernail (all 2 millimeters) and realize that with all the test tubes and computers we still cannot create a single fingernail. We may be able to control life, but only God can give life. This is the greatest of all miracles. On behalf of Yeretzgin, Varoujan and myself I thank all our parishioners for your prayers and well wishes. May God bless you and your families. As much as a new child brings happiness and joy to a family, one cannot escape the horror that has clouded the skies above our larger family during the past month. I am speaking of China. A child's face mirrors the freshness of possibility and his eyes reflect the hope of things to come. Sadly, we are confronted once again with the display of man's inhumanity to man, dimming even the most optimistic views for world peace. As Christian Armenians we cannot idle away in the face of this latest outrage. Thousands of students, demanding the very basic essentials of freedom for self-determination were massacred before the eyes of the world. Tanks rolled over bodies. Massacred bodies were quickly destroyed. As Christians we must be moved to express our rage at such abuse. As Armenians, the story is so frightfully similar to our own that we cannot escape a reaction. On June 3rd, as stories from China were unfolding, our congregation at St. Andrew initiated a letter writing campaign to government officials demanding condemnation of these acts. Because we have known pain, because we have been persecuted for our beliefs and want of freedom, we have an obligation and responsibility to stand up and be counted --an obligation and responsibility both to ourselves and the world. I have reiterated all too much the need for Armenians to break out of their ethnocentric web and begin addressing the needs of others who are akin to us by their victimization. It is because of our convictions that we have been feeling compelled to attend the prayer services at St. Sava -- for the atrocities committed against our Orthodox brothers in Yugoslavia. A small number of our congregation has been attending these services, not regularly, but at least an outward action is attempted. Today, China gives us an opportunity to put our convictions to the test. The Chinese may be the farthest people on Earth from the Armenian people--by distance, by culture, by religion-- but at this point in time, we find common ground. We relate and are related by our common experience -- of massacre, of persecution, of suffering for freedom. I ask that you take a first step. In your prayers remember the victims in China, as well as all those who suffer in the world. In your actions, take time to let your feelings known to our civil leaders. --Fr. Vazken-------------------------------------- c. 1989 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org --------------------------------------