Month 8 is coming to a close & I have been chewing on this blog since the day after we arrived in Armenia.
The first Sunday we were here, my teammate Court & I headed out for a prayer walk around our new neighborhood. If you haven’t seen it, this is what we get to gaze out at every day! It is beautiful & the Lord’s craftsmanship is evident all around.
If you look slightly to the right, this is what you will see:
There are dozens of tall, tan concrete buildings that on the outside look rather daunting, but on the inside, many of the flats we’ve been in, prove to be warm & inviting. As we were walking around the neighborhood {pictured in front of us} every street we walked down, each corner we rounded, we saw nothing but tall walls & iron bars in front of & around each home we prayed over as we passed by. We thought this was part of Armenian culture – they liked their privacy & preferred to keep to themselves. Perhaps this is true, or perhaps the walls on the outside of their home are representative of the remnant of hurt that has rested upon this country for the millennium.
If you’re similar to me & don’t know a ton about Armenian history, you can click here to learn more. Like many people groups, Armenians have been harmed by others who either believed different things than they did, or who wielded their power over a smaller, less equipped country. Armenians have survived despite thousands of years of oppression & have been forced to adapt to various governing forces throughout the centuries. At times this country was caught in a tug-of-war as other countries fought to be allied with them, while other times, countries with more military might made decisions & Armenia was forced to comply. Quite arguably one of the most impactful events this people group suffered through was a genocide that killed 80% of their population from 1915-1923. Under this Turkish rule & law, the goal became: “no Armenians, no Armenian question.”
Although, thankfully, the genocide has ended – there are scars & deep hurt that remain. Some people of Turkish decent refuse to acknowledge the genocide even happened, driving the thorn deeper into the sides of many Armenians. I am not sharing this with you to try & persuade you to think one way or another about certain people groups, I am sharing this because I want to raise awareness & share with you how powerful it has been for me to witness a small piece of history take place this month.
Together with a friend we made at church, a few of my teammates gathered around a dinner table with people from Turkey, Armenia, Canada, Iran, & the United States. There was a specific reason these people from Turkey were here – they wished to apologize.
They came to Armenia to not only acknowledge the horrendous acts that took place 100 years ago, but they wished to pursue reconciliation & make amends. These visitors sought out believers & they asked for forgiveness.
How incredibly powerful.
What an example.
A seemingly small pebble thrown into a giant lake of hurt – the ripple of which will continue to effect generations to come.
I have painstakingly learned in my own life to never underestimate the power of an apology & forgiveness, but this month we got to see it in action. Although I am certain there are about 1,000 tiny & large details to sort out for anything peaceful to happen in the future between these two countries, steps have been taken. Even small steps don’t go unnoticed in the eyes of those who have been hurt & in the eyes of the greatest King.
This month has been powerful in ways personal to me, my loved ones, my squadmates, & this country. I am incredibly grateful to be here & experience a bit of healing myself, alongside many others.
I don’t know many things, but I do know healing always leads to more freedom than I had before. Sometimes healing begins with an apology. Perhaps forgiveness. Somewhere down the line, reconciliation – Jesus lead the way – He died as an act of ultimate & final reconciliation. AND then rose again from the grave, claiming victory over what we thought would be the end of us.
