Honouring Heritage, Embracing Faith
“I would especially like to thank Armenians for their long history of fidelity to Christ, a fidelity that has known persecution and martyrdom. The children of Christian Armenia shed their blood for the Lord, but through their sacrifice the whole Church grew and was strengthened.”
These weighty words are a small excerpt from a letter by Pope John Paul II on the 1700th Anniversary of the Baptism of the Armenian People, issued on February 17, 2001. Christian history cannot be discussed without acknowledging the Armenian People, whose faith is not only a central pillar of their identity, but arguably the sole reason that the nation still stands firm in its sovereignty.
The Christian heritage of the Armenian people is traced back to 301 A.D., when Christianity was adopted as the official state religion through the work of Gregory the Illuminator. Looking even further back, the early groundwork of the Armenian apostolic church was set by two Apostles, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who evangelized in the region. In 405 A.D., a second pivotal moment in Armenia’s theological history, Mesrop Mashdots, through divine help, created the Armenian alphabet, allowing the Bible to be translated in Armenian, which enabled a deep integration between Christianity and Armenian identity. An integration that not only alights the missions of church and state but amalgamates the two entities into a unified body. This unity, centuries later, still stands, not only in the form of a sovereign nation but a growing diaspora of Armenians who have inherited the spiritual heritage of their ancestors and have built Armenian churches across the world.
An integral part of being raised Armenian is the inheritance of cultural customs and traditions that appear distinctive and unique to those who were not brought up in that cultural context. While language, music, cuisine, and shared cultural customs are easily inheritable, does the same apply to faith? Our heritage can certainly dictate our perception of the world, humanity, and our beliefs, but can it influence an immediate inherited personal relationship with God? The same God who said “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). The Word of God is clear, inward conviction starts with what Christ did on the Cross, and the personal revelation that every human is called to discover for themselves. While there is much to be found in centuries-old Christian testimonies, parents, and grandparents stories of how God changed their lives; without experiencing this change personally, the testimony of our ancestors has not bore the fruit it was expected to bear. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13).
However, the life of a Christian, can certainly begin with heritage. Faith in the early years is often taught rather than individually experienced. Without the stories of my grandmother sharing how God was with her family even in times of genocide, or my mom’s insistence on weekly church attendance, or my father reading the Bible to me before bed, I, like many Armenians, began their walk with God through learned experiences. A point of contention for every Armenian arises when these learned experiences meet their match; sin, trials and difficulties of life. The true test of faith and an honest testimony is how we approach the uglier moments of the Christian life. The times when we’ve hit a wall and are stuck at a dead end. Times where we cannot call on family, Church, ancestors, or centuries of Christian tradition. These are the times when a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way out, the key to our salvation and a path forward.
From a cultural standpoint, a nation built on Christian and Biblical beliefs is only a positive. The fundamental and detrimental issue arises when this foundation is divorced from genuine faith, repentance, and acknowledgment of one’s sinful nature, regardless of their cultural identity. Cultural identification as it pertains to religions faith has many benefits—it provides a church community, a feeling of belonging, and a sense that one is carrying on the legacy that their ancestors fought to preserve, the right to be a Christian in spite of persecution, whether that’s in Armenia or in the diaspora. However, in pursuit of carrying on this legacy, we stray farther from the true nature of what it means to be a Christian, not a cultural marker or signal that “we’re all the same” but a life in servitude to the one living God, who died and rose again, for the salvation of His creation.
The legacy of “First Christian Nation” continues to be a badge of honour and source of collective pride for every Christian Armenian, no matter the extent of one’s faith or religious association. It points to a rich historical heritage and cements Armenia’s legacy as a pioneer in adopting Christianity as its national religion. From Armenians living under the Ottoman and Persian Empires, to those who endured Soviet rule, and more recently to the Armenians of Artsakh, the legacy of a people constantly pressured to abandon their faith further proves that Armenia is a nation built on God. The enduring commitment shows their steadfastness and willingness to encounter adversity even in the face of persecution and the ultimate sacrifice, and doing so in the name of Jesus Christ: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:10-12).
While Armenia’s designation as the first Christian nation holds immense cultural value and serves as a constant reminder of the sacrifice that our people have withstood to uphold their faith, we must keep reminding each other and the coming generations, that true faith cannot be inherited through nationality and culture. Rather, it comes from repentance, love, and a life in servitude to God.
