People of Covenant in a Fallen Earth

This year the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church, falls on September 11. The feast commemorates the discovery by the Roman emperor Heraclius in AD 629 of the actual cross of the Lord, which was taken from Jerusalem by the Persians. In addition to the historical event, the feast more importantly commemorates the symbol of Christ’s victory over evil. The cross of the Lord stands for God’s love for us, which was ultimately expressed in Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross for the sake of our salvation (John 3:16). The cross, therefore, is also the sign of the New Covenant of God with His people preached by our Lord and sealed through His death and resurrection.

As we celebrate this feast we are reminded that this world is a fallen world that rejected Christ and His message of peace and love (John 1 & Luke 6:22) and crucified Him. The Bible clearly teaches us that this world is fallen. Our Lord warns us that while in this world we are not of this world (John 15:19). The apostle Paul reminds us not to conform to the ways of this world (Romans 12:2). In fact according to our Lord the world is ruled by satan (John 14:30 and 16:11). We do not need to research the Bible to prove the evil of this world. Daily events around us confirm this reality. In fact the coincidence that brought the commemoration of this feast on September 11, is a powerful reminder of how evil this world is. How can we forget the innocent victims whose lives for no reason were taken away from them and from their family members. Also, as I write these notes my heart bleeds for the poor victims of Hurricane Katrina, some of whom have lost their lives and others their loved ones because of the massively destructive storm that is still wreaking havoc on its way across the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States.

In the midst of these sad events the symbol of the cross shines as a powerful reminder that our eternal home is not this fallen earth. It is in God’s Kingdom. The Cross as the sign of the New Covenant, reminds us that through the death of our Lord we, as sinful as we may be, have been granted the invitation to join God’s Eternal Kingdom. Through our commitment to live by the teachings of the Lord we accept the invitation and join the New Covenant with God. We become men and women of the New Covenant. The celebration of the feast of the Cross is, therefore, also a celebration of our membership in the New Covenant of God. Furthermore, it is not only the celebration of our victory over death and the evil of this earth, but it is also the victory of the victims of all the expressions of evil on this earth. With the commemoration of the raising of the Cross we celebrate the resurrection of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, the terrorist attacks on our nation, and of all the evil acts on this earth.

As we prepare for the celebration of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, let us be encouraged and strengthened by all that the Cross stands for, encompassing God’s love for us and our commitment to Him and His Church.                                               

In Christ’s Service
Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian

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