Nativity Story: Learning from Mary

Published December 2, 2006 IN THEORY Nativity Story: Learning from Mary Q: A new movie, "The Nativity Story," puts a new spotlight on the life of Jesus' mother, Mary. It even reportedly has Protestants using the movie to talk more about Mary -- discussion that has reportedly in the past gone by the wayside in some religious circles. What can we learn from Mary? Has she been ignored? A: In the Armenian Orthodox tradition we refer to St. Mary as "Asdvadzadzin" which literally means the "Bearer of God." It is akin to the Greek word, "Theotokos" which is her title in the Orthodox Christian world. She has a unique position among the saints, because from her Love is born. St. Mary's message is simple, yet difficult. At a time when women were not much more than property, when the punishment for pre-marital pregnancy was capital (usually by stoning), Mary answers the call to give birth to the Christ child by saying, "Let it be to me, according to your word." (Luke 2) This 'yes' is unique in all of history, because in it we find humility, sacrifice and submission to God's will. In a word, St. Mary's "yes" is the articulation of Love. As a result, Love was born from her. Today, St. Mary's example must challenge all of us. We are called to give "birth to love" everyday, in our relationships and our lives. The consequences are sometimes just as difficult as those faced by the Holy Virgin. Saying 'yes' to God means dropping the ego and humbling ourselves. It means sacrificing for others, rather than holding on to selfish desires. It involves nurturing love within us so that it can be born of our actions. Hers is a formula for peace. Hers is a birthplace for love. FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN Armenian Church In His Shoes Mission

Public vs. Private Education

Published November 18, 2006 - Glendale News Press - Los Angeles Time

IN THEORY

Public vs. Private Education

Q:

Jews and Catholics are reportedly calling for government policies and funding that would allow parents to send their children to private schools with the aid of public funds. The idea is to help parents meet the high cost of religious schools. Critics say vouchers take money away from public schools and funnel it to private religious schools, unfairly. What do you think? Should the government money go to such a cause?

A:

I approach the issue of public vs. private education from a different perspective because most of my work is with families and students that are confounded by the public school system. I have also administered a parochial day school, and know that there are trade-offs for the 'luxury' of private education.

But as a priest, I hope to add a religious dimension to this debate, which goes beyond a mere exercise in funding parochial agendas. Private schools and the debate over vouchers are an indictment of the failings of public schools. This becomes more apparent as more and more parents opt for parochial education for their children, not on dogmatic grounds as much as on quality of education and safety issues.

The fundamental philosophy of education should be to pass along knowledge to subsequent generations, to form the building blocks to tomorrow's society. But what good is building society only to have it toppled by misdirected political motives? Vouchers do not take away money from education, rather it is the massive budgets for destruction and war that devastate our classrooms and even greater, prevent us from dreaming of a better tomorrow.

We need to be talking about our direction as a society. This is not a discussion of private vs. public education. Instead, it's about prioritizing the challenge to provide the best education for everyone. We have the money to do this, vouchers or not. We need to rework our budgets so that spending is off-balance in favor of the classroom rather than military growth. Investing in our children will bring a much better and a higher yield than investing in the destruction of foreign governments and lands. Our military spending is no longer confined under "defense" and so, let us be honest and talk about the best offensive strategy for our country. I believe we can find it in educating our children so that they dream of better tomorrows for us, our society and our world.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN
Armenian Church
In His Shoes Mission

Chaplains and Religious Liberty

Published October 21, 2006 - Glendale News Press - Los Angeles Time

IN THEORY

Chaplains and Religious Liberty

Q:

Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter reportedly issued instructions to Navy chaplains earlier this year that religious portions of events such as graduations or command changes should be "nonsectarian in nature" and that chaplains must "be willing to function in a pluralistic environment." The instructions have prompted a debate about whether a chaplain's ability to express his or her faith is justified in a secular setting and whether phrases such as "praying in Jesus' name" during an invocation could offend the ranks.The move has concerned members of Congress and evangelicals, who say that any restriction on religious liberty restricts their freedom of religion. They propose legislation that would allows chaplains to practice their faith, even in nonsectarian settings. What do you think? Do you think there should be such legislation? Or do you think the Navy secretary's direction was warranted?

A:

You can't have a "religious" portion to an event that is "nonsectarian." This violates definitions.

You certainly can ask a chaplain to be considerate of the various traditions present at an event, but all prayers conjure sectarian images.

Everyone has a unique set of beliefs. Religion is the expression of those beliefs. Even atheism involves a set of beliefs, if not in anything, at least in the self that is able to contemplate these thoughts. A chaplain is a person who represents a particular tradition with a unique set of instructions for expression.

Unfortunately, at many of public events, prayers and invocations are ceremonial and lack any depth or meaning. They are meant to showcase a particular allegiance by a politician or to appease a certain constituency. And in so doing, inevitably, someone is offended.

A true prayer cannot be offensive because it talks to the depths of the human experience. It conjures images of attainable dreams, such as peace and justice. It crosses all boundaries, sectarian, secular and denominational.

FR. VAZKEN MOVSESIAN
Armenian Church
In His Shoes Mission

Jesus Camp: Teaching Truth or Extremism

Published October 7, 2006 IN THEORY Jesus Camp: Teaching Truth or Extremism Q: Pope Benedict last week visited Veronica's Veil, which some Christians say was used to wipe the blood and sweat off of Jesus' face on his way to his crucifixion. It was a pope's first visit to the shrine in Manoppello, Italy, where the veil is said to bear the true likeness of Christ's face — a likeness that reportedly resembles the likeness on the Shroud of Turin. The pope stopped short of endorsing the image as that of Christ.But do you believe this likeness and others, like the shroud, are true depictions of Christ? What are your thoughts on what Christ looked like? A: When discussing "Jesus Camp," the word "zealous" comes to mind. It's a word derived from a first-century Jewish sect known as the "Zealots," a group formed in reaction to the occupation of the land of Israel and eventually led the revolt against Rome (66-70 AD). The Zealots could not accept their land being ruled by any principle other than the authority of God. At least one of Jesus' disciples, Simon, was a member of the Zealots. I suspect that Pastor Becky Fischer, her group and the countless other denominations that align themselves with her teachings, understand the United States being "occupied" and ruled by principles that are in conflict with God's commandments. And here lies the problem, because you can only approach such an idea subjectively. How dare we answer the question, what is the will of God? To teach a six-day-creation? That the war in Iraq is justified? That homelessness is acceptable in every major city? Secondly, I need to comment on the target audience of the "Jesus Camp." Children don't need religion. They need faith. They need to believe in hope and love. As so called "mature" people, we need to offer our children stability, not chaos. What amazes me the most is our audacity to teach young children about religion. Have we created a good enough world that we're ready to pass along the systems by which we've arrived here? Or do we need to pause and pay heed to the words of Jesus: "Let the little children come to me, for to such belong the Kingdom of God" (Matthew 19). Our children can teach us a thing or two about life that we've forgotten. I would like to attend a "Jesus Camp" run by the children who can teach us what comes so naturally to them. Things such as, forgiving and forgetting just a short while after they have been hurt, or noticing small miracles such as a frog jumping. Mostly, they can teach us to trust and depend on each other — building the community — something which is the basis of all true religion. FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN Armenian Church In His Shoes Mission

Governor divests California fromt he Sudan

Published in Glendale Newspress and Burbank Leader during the week of September 25, 2006 http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2006/09/26/politics/gnp-governor26.prt Politics Governor visits the area, signs two bills Schwarzenegger lashes out at Sudan, signs legislation that will end government investment there. By Chris Wiebe BURBANK AIRPORT DISTRICT — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the Hilton Burbank Airport and Convention Center on Monday to sign two pieces of legislation intended to put pressure on leaders in Sudan to halt government-sponsored genocide in the Darfur region. The first law, Assembly Bill 2941, will prohibit the state's pension programs — the California Public Employees Retirement System and the State Teachers Retirement System — from making investments in corporations with business ties to Sudan. "This is an action that says we do not cooperate with them in the horrors of Darfur," he said. "We will not pay for it; we will not support it and we will not enable it." The second piece of legislation, Assembly Bill 2179, provides legal safeguards for the University of California against potential liability issues that could stem from state divestiture of funds from companies with interests in Sudan, he said. Joining Schwarzenegger for the bill-signing ceremony on Monday were former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, celebrity activists Don Cheadle and George Clooney and Assemblymen Tim Leslie and Paul Koretz, who wrote the bills. Also in attendance was Father Vazken Movsesian, a parish priest at St. Peter Armenian Church in Glendale and director of In His Shoes Ministries, which lobbied heavily for the legislation, raising money and collecting petition signatures. "It's our way of saying that we're walking in the shoes of the people of Darfur, just as we've gone through our own genocide," Movsesian said. "It's sending a loud, clear signal that genocide will not be tolerated in the modern world. The one weapon that we have is money. It costs money to run a genocide and by California — the world's fifth-largest economy — divesting from Sudan, it's sending a signal that if you continue it, you're out of money. Without picking up any guns, without killing anybody, we're making a difference." The Sudanese genocide, which began in 2003, has resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children and left millions homeless, Schwarzenegger said. "No one is being spared, and even if the violence would stop today, the country would still have deep scars for many generations to come," he said. The governor also signed a bill on Monday that permits California residents affected by the Armenian Genocide to pursue legal challenges against financial institutions that withhold deposited or looted assets, extending the statute of limitations to Dec. 31, 2016. Schwarzenegger has signed Armenian Genocide Commemoration bills every year since he took office in 2003.

Clergy Recruitment on the Decline

Published September 23, 2006 - Glendale News Press - Los Angeles Time IN THEORY Clergy Recruitment on the Decline Q: The percentage of new clergy younger than 35, across mainline denominations, including Prodestant and Catholic, is reportedly dropping, according to a recent study by the Lewis Center for Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary. Are you seeing a drop in your faith? If so, what do you think is driving it? Are you concerned? A: The Armenian Church suffers a tremendous clergy shortage. Before the Armenian Genocide (pre-1915) the ratio of clergy to souls was 1:140. The Turkish plan of Genocide began with an assault directly on the church. The seventy years of Soviet atheism that followed prevented a few generations of priests from rising. Today the ratio of clergy to laity stands at 1:25,000. Among the youth today, I am witnessing a new sense of commitment to higher ideals and a romantic view of serving the collective. I believe this is a direct reaction to the events in the world, including the war, the violence that is all around them and intolerance by the fanatic religious minorities. I don't believe, however, that their passion will translate into service through the Church. Inherent in the problem of attracting youth to church vocations, is the very structure of the church. It is perceived as an institution that has failed in bringing the message of love, charity, tolerance, ecology and peace to the world. Have we forgotten the lesson we learned from the Da Vinci code, just a few months ago? People are ready to believe in cover-ups and covert activity, because the goals of the institution are not being achieved, that is, we have a world where religion fuels hatred, bigotry and ultimately, wars. This is diametrically opposed to the message that Jesus brought to the world through his teaching and his example. The challenge for the church is to translate youthful idealism and romantic activism into a career of service to people. The church has all the elements necessary for youth to find a home and a vocation. It is the guardian of faith, hope and love. I believe if youth can see church leadership living these virtues and not merely preserving them, they will be inclined to dedicate their lives to this calling. Fr. Vazken Movsesian Armenian Church In His Shoes Ministries

What Jesus looks like

Published September 8, 2006 IN THEORY What Jesus looks like Q: Pope Benedict last week visited Veronica's Veil, which some Christians say was used to wipe the blood and sweat off of Jesus' face on his way to his crucifixion. It was a pope's first visit to the shrine in Manoppello, Italy, where the veil is said to bear the true likeness of Christ's face — a likeness that reportedly resembles the likeness on the Shroud of Turin. The pope stopped short of endorsing the image as that of Christ.But do you believe this likeness and others, like the shroud, are true depictions of Christ? What are your thoughts on what Christ looked like? A: Jesus had long hair, a beard and eyes that pulled you in. He had soft but strong features; handsome but not seductive and he donned a perpetual look of contentment. At least, that's how Hollywood has presented him to us and that Jesus has found his way into many of our churches. A quick glance at the ethnic churches will paint a bit different picture. In our Armenian Church, his eyebrows and beard may be a bit more pronounced. In the African church his coloring is much darker, just as he's much fairer on the walls of a Russian church. And the beauty of all the art is that each of these depictions is an exact rendering of Jesus. According to our faith, Jesus is God personified, that is, Love incarnate. Love does not have a face, but a heart. It is in the expressions of the heart, through helping, caring, healing and living that we witness God. And that is what Jesus looks like. For 2,000 years, people have been picking up cloths, veils and other objects trying to identify the Christ. And I imagine the search for a connection to the historical Jesus will continue. The real search begins by looking within and seeing the image of Christ etched on our hearts waiting to be released in our love and care for others. FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN Armenian Church In His Shoes Ministries