When Faith Faces Challenges

Published: Last Updated Friday, March 20, 2009 10:38 PM PDT

William Lobdell, a former religion writer for the Los Angeles Times, made a splash recently with his book, “Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America — and Found Unexpected Peace.” In the book, Lobdell describes how covering scandals and corruption in organized religion led him to question, and ultimately reject, his own belief in God. Have you ever undergone a crisis of faith yourself, and do you ever counsel churchgoers who are struggling with their feelings about religion?

Groucho Marx said it best: “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.”

I very much understand the struggle Lobdell went through and so many others experience. Many of us have even tackled the ministry specifically as an answer to the incongruity we’ve witnessed between the preached word and the implemented actions of the message. It’s called hypocrisy.

And the problem is all around us today. I struggle with it daily with an ancient church and leadership that is disconnected with the workings of the world. Today, our country is involved in two major wars, the genocide in Darfur continues, health and human services deteriorate, and most church communities are silent on these issues, opting rather for structure-building and PR campaigns that make themselves the official spokes-hole for God. But don’t stop with the church; it’s around us in the “leaders” of our communities and school districts, and all that we hold sacred. It’s endemic in all facets of our life — leading by a set of principles that you yourself do not adhere to.

The situation is truly disconcerting, and I have contemplated leaving the church on occasion because I cannot reconcile the notion of belonging to a group that has lost the path of peace and love set forth by its founder.

It is the words of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr that gives me the strength to endure.

He refers to love as the “impossible possibility,” that is, there will always be a disconnect between theory (possibility) and reality (impossibility) by virtue of the high command for sacrificial love against our human frailties.

So strangely enough, it is Groucho’s comment that keeps me in check.

Once we truly look at our own lives in the life of the collective, we understand that each of us comes to the table with our own shortcomings.

Sacrifice or Responsibility

Your most difficult task?

Published: Last Updated Friday, March 13, 2009 10:12 PM PDT

The Christian humanitarian group World Vision recently held its annual 30 Hour Famine, in which Christian youths go without food for 30 hours, sleep in cardboard boxes and raise millions of dollars to fight world hunger. World Vision organizers say the event not only benefits the needy, but also teaches a valuable Biblical lesson about sacrifice. What is the most difficult or demanding thing you have ever done in service of your faith?

For the past eight years, we have done the “30 Hour Famine,” and I’m pleased to say that a small group of kids from our ministry has raised more than $500,000 to aid victims of world hunger. The lessons taught by doing the Famine are many, but even more dramatic for those at our church. You see, only a short while ago — in the early part of the 20th century — the reference to the “Starving Armenians” was a cliché to motivate people to have pity and help others. The idea that today, the children of those “Starving Armenians” are feeding others is a testimony to our faith in Christ and the power of love.

Once again, this year, the kids from our ministry will participate in the 30 Hour Famine on April 24 and 25. Interestingly enough, I’ve never heard the kids complain about the sacrifice they endure; rather, now they look forward to the event and start plans for fundraising early. This tells me that people know what is right and what is important in life.

I’m convinced that if the goals and ideals of the faith are pure and sincere, there are no difficult or demanding tasks. Those jobs become burdens and problematic when we lose focus of the goal. That is, a church might find it difficult to find volunteers to run a pot-luck party or sell tickets to a bazaar, but will have a waiting list of people to work on the homeless outreach or give up eating to aid world hunger.

It’s a question of relevance. Is my church relevant to my life and my world today? The stark reality is this: 29,000 children die every day of hunger and hunger-related diseases. That’s the population of Glendale being eradicated in less than a week! That’s unacceptable by any standard and certainly demands the attention of any group bearing the name of Jesus Christ. There’s no sacrifice or hard work in these cases, only expressions of love.

FR. VAZKEN MOVSESIAN
In His Shoes Mission
Armenian Church Youth Ministries