Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian
Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the foundation of Christian faith. It confirms the Christian belief that God was in Christ, because on Easter we see the power of God restoring life to Jesus. It affirms the Christian faith that Jesus, who died on the cross, was raised from the dead and is living forever.
Easter, however, is not only a remembrance of what happened 20 centuries ago, but a celebration that in every present instant there is triumphant victory available. Since death cannot stamp out and erase spiritual values and since God has the last word, there is hope for all who are on God’s side. And because God can be trusted both in life and in death, there is hope for those who are fighting hard battles and carrying heavy burdens.
The past year has been a difficult period of time for the world population because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, it has been a very difficult time for the Armenian people in general, and for the people of Armenia and Artsakh in particular. The tragic events during the past few months have disrupted their lives. The loss of thousands of Armenians during the 44-day war that Azerbaijan, Turkey and its hired terrorists waged against Artsakh and Armenia has been a great disaster. The loss of a large part of Artsakh to Azerbaijan was another calamity. The lingering political crisis and turmoil in Armenia, in addition to the ravaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic, have created a gloomy mood among many Armenians.
In view of all this, people may ask, “How do we find a rhyme and reason in all of this?” “How do we celebrate Easter?” Yes, we should and we must celebrate Easter, because God Omnipotent is still on His throne. He is our loving Heavenly Father, and Christ our victorious Savior, who tells us that He is with us in all circumstances of life. He is with us when our plans are disrupted and dreams are shattered. He is with us when we sustain loss, and even when we lose loved ones and start wondering, where do we go from here?
We walk so many roads of life, some filled with joy and some filled with grief and disappointments. Easter tells us that we can travel the roads of life in companionship with the loving Christ, who told His followers, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Easter faith tells us that we can keep walking confidently when the going is tough. We can keep hoping in the midst of despair. We can keep on living triumphantly in the midst of challenges, and we can keep declaring, “Christ is Risen! Blessed is the Resurrection of the Lord. Kristos Haryav Ee Merelots; Orhnyal eh Haroutiunen Kristosi!”
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