United Under One Flag

Scripture Readings: Is. 49:13-23; Gal. 6:14-18; John 3:13-21
Ընթերցուածքներ` Եսայ. ԽԹ 13-23; Գաղ Զ 15-18; Յով. Գ 13-21

In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

There are many unique things that we all share across cultures, nationalities, histories and beliefs. We all have music, foods, dance, games, and religions, yet each different and unique which help define our identity, who we are. Among the many shared differences, we all share our own flag, a banner, a symbol which represents us, unites us, delineates who we are as individuals, as a group, and what we want to claim as our own. As American’s we have the star-spangled banner – representing 13 stripes for the original colonies and 50 stars for its States, and all who live the American Dream are welcome under that flag. As Armenian’s we have the red, blue and apricot orange – the symbol of the blood of our people, the blue sky’s and waters, and the harvest and hard work of the people of the land of Noah. However, the reason we are gathered here in this Church is not because of culture or citizenship. Some of us feel more Armenian, some of us feel more American, while some of us feel an allegiance to other countries or political groups. Therefore, the banner or flag under which we are united is something entirely different.

In the Armenian Church as part of the liturgical items, we have what are known as khachvars or droshakhach. These are liturgical flags or banners, and they exist in all the ancient Churches, and they have both an important history and as well as symbolism for today. Firstly, just as many of the icons we have in our beautiful Churches, liturgical banners are adorned with icons, because historically they served as visual aids that convey teaching, reinforcing theological truths during worship services and processions. Secondly, the banners symbolized the triumph of faith, the presence of God’s grace. They may depict images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, angels, saints, or scenes from biblical narratives, serving to inspire devotion and reverence, yet, these banners are flags, which unite and serve to identify us, all those who declare to be Christian, and who are under the shadow of the Holy Church!

They are not merely flags or symbols like the flags of this world, which can divide over politics and borders. Each one, regardless of what is depicted on it, on the very top always has a cross because for us Christian’s, our triumph of faith, what unifies us is only through the Cross of Christ! In wartimes, militaries would march into battle with banners and flags and when an army marched, its banners flew at the front – it led the soldiers. If the soldiers were struck with fear and fell back, if they were distracted, or unsure of what direction to go, the sight of the banner would rally them, continue to give them hope and direction even amidst the chaos. And if during a battle, the banner fell, it was a symbol of defeat. Likewise, my dear brothers and sisters, these flags which lead our processions, which are adorned with the Cross of Christ – remind us that our faith is a battle. It is a battle against not flesh and blood as Christ says, but against true evil, a battle for our very soul.

Over the last weeks, as the world prepared to remember the horrific attacks of 9/11 over 24 years ago, we again were reminded of the evils of the world, with the killing of 2 innocent children, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, in a Catholic School as they prayed, the stabbing of a young Ukrainian woman, Iryna Zarutska, on a train, the assassination of Charlie Kirk as he spoke in public, the killing of 2 children in a Colorado School by a classmate, killing and attempted murders of politicians and police, such as Melissa Hortman, and constant hateful rhetoric over the news and social media. Yet, these are only a few things we saw of the world! What about the darkness we each face, our own battles? Substance abuse, addiction, broken families, harassment and hurt, rejection, hatred of every kind. The reality is we often don’t like to talk about these things. It doesn’t concern us, it’s too political and as a Church, we should talk about God’s love!

Yet, my dears, God’s love is not a feeling, or a sentiment. The Gospel of John, which we read today, and we all know very well, states, – “God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son…” This means my dear brothers and sisters, the love of God demands action. God’s love recognized the evils of this world, our hurt, our pain and suffering and God’s love still recognizes it and sees it, and through Christ Jesus, God declares war against it because love, Divine love, cannot sit back and not act in face of sin. When we begin each Divine Liturgy, “Blessed is the Kingdom, of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” – we are declaring as soldiers of God, as His beloved children, that God is Triumphant in that war, when we remain faithful, prayerful, compassionate, and courageous. If in the midst of our hurt, and the darkness of the world, we feel lost, when we look to the Cross – it rallies us, gives us hope, gives us direction to keep fighting by remaining faithful and not forgetting who we are as Christian’s. Not forgetting God’s love!

After 9/11, many of us who were in the United States remember, almost all Churches were full the first Sunday. We were in Church looking for answers for the horrific realities of this world. Yet, over time, we slowly dwindled and left. As soldiers, we became distracted, and began looking elsewhere, searching for our identity in temporal things. Yet, again when hurt and darkness happened, how many of us looked to the Cross, looked to God to lead, to guide, vs. how many of us continue to enforce our will, raise our flag and push our ego in hopes of something. Sadly, we have remained distracted and divided, because we have placed our hope in politics, our jobs, our education, our money, social media, experiences, etc. How we treat our bodies, the covid pandemic, how we vote, how we dress, how we eat, what language we speak, etc. yes important but distracters and dividers. And this is exactly what the devil wants. C. S. Lewis in his story of the Screwtape Letters, where 2 demons are corresponding on how to trick people says, “Be sure the patient [person] remains completely fixated on politics. Arguments, political gossip, and obsessing on the faults of people they have never met serves as an excellent distraction from advancing in personal virtue, character, and the things the patient can control… Ensure the person continues to believe that the problem is “out there” in the “broken system” rather than recognizing there is a problem with himself.”

My dears, how much longer will we remain distracted on the battlefield of our soul? The Cross, St. Paul says, is the only thing we look to and take pride in. It is the only thing we are all gathered under, that unites us and strengthens us against all evils. The victorious Cross of Christ will never fall in defeat and will always guides us, renews us, leads us, and commands us – if, we set our eyes upon it and follow. Meaning, we too have a part to play. We as soldiers of God in this battle must have the love in us to overcome the darknesses around us by living as God commands. Through repentance, patience, care and forgiveness, we live as God loves. Today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – we are reminded of this. That our Lord’s Cross, which for the world was a tool of death, through the blood of Christ was transformed into victory. And that even if the world is surrounded and lost to death – through the blood of Christ, it will be transformed into life.

This will only truly happen my dears, if we all, as different, unique, opinionated, educated or not, young or old, as we are – if we who find our identity in God the Father, Son and Holy are united under the Holy Cross, live our life with faith, trusting God not in words only but in action and through repentance ask for guidance in all our daily tasks. As the Church Father Tertullian says, “At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at a table, when we light the lamps, sit on a couch, on a seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we begin by tracing upon the forehead the sign of the Cross.” Because among the many differences we all have, we all follow the one flag, one banner, one Cross which as baptized children hangs around our necks, and is chrismated upon our foreheads, through whom our one Lord Jesus Christ declares victory, now and always. Blessed is the Kingdom of God, Amen!