“Wake up, sleeper, and rise from the death, and Christ will shine on you”.
(Ephesians 5:14b).
The whole world today is in turmoil, wars, strife, famine, pandemics, earthquakes, global warming, all of these are mostly because of human error, man misjudging his role in the universe. God entrusted the world to man to take care of it not to destroy it. Most people today have distanced themselves from God, from the ethical teachings of our Lord. Once the fear of God is forgotten jealousy, greed, power takes control. Money and wealth are regarded as the sole purpose of the individual, where one’s own unlimited freedom takes priority. The responsibility towards family, society is neglected. In this manner humanity is rushing to bring upon itself self-destruction.
Jesus came to this world to save humanity, to heal the souls of people, to teach love, to give life and hope.
Jesus not only preached and lived His teachings but also gave His very life to show His utmost love to humanity; He died on the cross, but He also rose to herald life’s victory over death and a new beginning for humanity. God has done and continues to do His salvific act through Christ, it is up to mankind to keep his part of the New Covenant, through his faith in the risen Lord in word and in deed.
The second coming of the Lord can be glorious or it can bring judgement and destroy the whole world. Jesus said, “When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth” (Luke 18:8). We know what happened during the deluge and to Sodom and Gomorrah however because of just Noah and Lot, through them the remnant humanity was saved.
It is up to us as Christians to save the world from utter destruction so let us “Stand firm, put on our loins with truth and the breastplate of righteousness, equipment of the gospel of peace; taking the shield of faith, with which we will quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. (Ephesians 6:14)
Let us once again proclaim the Good News with the angels and say, “Christ is risen from the dead”.
– With fraternal love
Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian, Primate
Diocese of the Armenian Church in Australia & New Zealand
