Monday, August 22, 2016
CLINTON, TRUMP, SARGSYAN, AND POKÉMON
With all the hype about the new Pokémon Go – an augmented reality game that has become a cause of obsession for many – the current political developments for Armenian-Americans remain top-ranking for the most part.
Clinton’s infamous DNC leak, Trump’s tax return mystery, and Sargsyan’s ambiguous course, once again, come to assert that today’s political arena is not too different from Pokémon’s reality.
We unceasingly search for, and if lucky, capture peculiar characters. We spend a lifetime to tame and train them only to throw to the arena of vicious battles against other Pokémon.
The ethical problem here is that the augmented reality as well as today’s politics have nothing to do with the objective reality – the real life that exists independently of our perceptions. I think this is why people are disoriented in matters concerning moral values, conventional truths, and even basic life principles that are being sold to us in a twisted form of relativity.
Whether we’re Republicans or Democrats, whether we support Sargsyan’s regime or could not care less about politics, whether we play Pokémon Go or boycott modern technology, it must be made clear that life is much bigger than us. Life is the gift of God and it does have a purpose. No matter how hard the interest groups try to feed us with false ideologies, we should never lose our moral compass and the touch with objective reality.
God have mercy on us.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
… ԱԿԱՆՋԸ ՀՈՒՄ Է ՄՆՈՒՄ
Ամենուր ցցուն հում ականջներ՝
Անտաշ, գռեհիկ ու պոռոտ,
Փշի պես լցվել են մեր չորսդին
Տիրելու, զավթելու կարոտ:
–Պարո՛ն, բաճկոնը ձեր հագի, ներեցե՛ք, ձեզ բնավ չի սազում,
Հոգ չէ թե որքան թանկարժեք,
Ձեր ով լինելն է ցայտուն։
Անդադար ընդհատակ տանող
Ձեր ճահիճը կաթցա է եռացող,
Ինչպե՞ս են ականջները ձեր հում
Գեհենի հրին դիմանում։
Ծածկել, քողարկել չի ստացվի՝
Ականջները ձեր շատ են ցցուն,
Թե բանաս բերանդ հանկարծ
Դատարկությունդ ի հայտ է գալու։
Պայքարելն իզուր է, անտեղին՝
Դուք ագրեսիվ էք դառնում,
Ձեզ անտեսել է պետք,
Ձեզ արհամարհանքն է սպանում։
Monday, March 18, 2013
ՍԵՐՈՒՆԴՆԵՐԻՆ ՍԲ. ՂԵՒՈՆԴԻ
Նվիրական գաղափարի,
Ճշմարտության, արդարության ու հավատքի
Քաջամարտիկ սուրբ մարտիրոս Ղեւոնդ Երեց,
Որ աներեր, հաստատակամ ու անվեհեր
Ավարայրից մինչեւ այսօր
Իր տիպարով ոգեշնչեց, առաջնորդեց բյուր սերունդներ,
Մեզ պատգամեց լինել ազնիվ ու պայքարող՝
Սկզբունքի, ազատ խոսքի, իրավունքի, վառ երազի,
Մեր դավանած համընդհանուր ու մարդկային արժեքների,
Ոչ թե լինել ճոռոմաբան ու զազրախոս, լոկ քարոզող կիրակնօրյա,
Այլ՝ հետեւող Տիրոջ խոսքի հանց ճշմարիտ քրիստոնյա՝
Միշտ կենդանի օրինակով զայն փաստելով մեր կյանքի մեջ ամենօրյա:
Որ չտրվենք սին պատրանաց, որոգայթող ու շլացնող մարդկան փառաց,
Հեղհեղուկ ու անհաստատ, դրամահոտ, պիղծ, լպրծուն
Մեզ անհարիր ու անվայել քաղաքական քծնող վարաց:
Պատգամն այդ սուրբ նույնն է այսօր եթե դեռ կա հույսը վաղվա,
Որ միշտ մնանք հավատարիմ ու սեր սփռենք երկրի վրա,
Որ ընդմեջեն մեր հայելիի Ավարայրի ոգին ցոլա,
Զորացնենք մեր եկեղեցին, սրբազան տունը Թորգոմա:
02.05.2013
Սան Ֆրանցիսկո
Ճշմարտության, արդարության ու հավատքի
Քաջամարտիկ սուրբ մարտիրոս Ղեւոնդ Երեց,
Որ աներեր, հաստատակամ ու անվեհեր
Ավարայրից մինչեւ այսօր
Իր տիպարով ոգեշնչեց, առաջնորդեց բյուր սերունդներ,
Մեզ պատգամեց լինել ազնիվ ու պայքարող՝
Սկզբունքի, ազատ խոսքի, իրավունքի, վառ երազի,
Մեր դավանած համընդհանուր ու մարդկային արժեքների,
Ոչ թե լինել ճոռոմաբան ու զազրախոս, լոկ քարոզող կիրակնօրյա,
Այլ՝ հետեւող Տիրոջ խոսքի հանց ճշմարիտ քրիստոնյա՝
Միշտ կենդանի օրինակով զայն փաստելով մեր կյանքի մեջ ամենօրյա:
Որ չտրվենք սին պատրանաց, որոգայթող ու շլացնող մարդկան փառաց,
Հեղհեղուկ ու անհաստատ, դրամահոտ, պիղծ, լպրծուն
Մեզ անհարիր ու անվայել քաղաքական քծնող վարաց:
Պատգամն այդ սուրբ նույնն է այսօր եթե դեռ կա հույսը վաղվա,
Որ միշտ մնանք հավատարիմ ու սեր սփռենք երկրի վրա,
Որ ընդմեջեն մեր հայելիի Ավարայրի ոգին ցոլա,
Զորացնենք մեր եկեղեցին, սրբազան տունը Թորգոմա:
02.05.2013
Սան Ֆրանցիսկո
Thursday, May 24, 2012
No Memory, No Life
People have short memory - they tend to get excited over new things they see, or new people they meet, forgetting the ones they have had. This is very similar to buying a new toy for your kids, who completely forget their old toys and play only with the new one.
In fact, adults are not different from kids in this respect. When a new official is elected, a president for instance, everybody forgets the contributions of the former, and attributes all the achievements to the new one. Ironically, when it comes down to the shortcomings, all the blame goes to the former president.
Others have selective memory or conditional memory. These people remember only what they need and who they need, as long as it works in their benefit - egocentric memory. Here we are dealing with the most dangerous and sinister type of people.
Now, whether you have short or selective memory, the grassroots theology on this is to remember those who have touched your life and have done any good to you. Be thankful for all the blessings you have and pray for the people who brought those blessings into your life.
If you encountered a bad person in your life, if you were wronged or hurt, try to forget all, forgive and forget. By forgetting the bad, you clean up some space in your heart and mind as well - just as you clean up your computer from all kinds of viruses and bad files - for all the good and cherished memories you want to remember for the rest of your life. Let your good faith be a protective shield, and your conscience a prism of righteousness through which you can see and decide on what you must forget and what you ought to remember. Don't allow your good memories fade or die, because the ungratefulness will come to take that space. Instead, let the prayerful spirit of thankfulness refresh your good memories and defragment them so that you can have an easy and graceful life.
After all, know that you can't live with bad memory. If you don't refresh or fix it, one day others will do that for you in a painful way. And I'm telling you, there is nothing more unpleasant and more humiliating than that.
In fact, adults are not different from kids in this respect. When a new official is elected, a president for instance, everybody forgets the contributions of the former, and attributes all the achievements to the new one. Ironically, when it comes down to the shortcomings, all the blame goes to the former president.
Others have selective memory or conditional memory. These people remember only what they need and who they need, as long as it works in their benefit - egocentric memory. Here we are dealing with the most dangerous and sinister type of people.
Now, whether you have short or selective memory, the grassroots theology on this is to remember those who have touched your life and have done any good to you. Be thankful for all the blessings you have and pray for the people who brought those blessings into your life.
If you encountered a bad person in your life, if you were wronged or hurt, try to forget all, forgive and forget. By forgetting the bad, you clean up some space in your heart and mind as well - just as you clean up your computer from all kinds of viruses and bad files - for all the good and cherished memories you want to remember for the rest of your life. Let your good faith be a protective shield, and your conscience a prism of righteousness through which you can see and decide on what you must forget and what you ought to remember. Don't allow your good memories fade or die, because the ungratefulness will come to take that space. Instead, let the prayerful spirit of thankfulness refresh your good memories and defragment them so that you can have an easy and graceful life.
After all, know that you can't live with bad memory. If you don't refresh or fix it, one day others will do that for you in a painful way. And I'm telling you, there is nothing more unpleasant and more humiliating than that.
"Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No?' (Matt. 5:37)
The quest for justice and objectivity, meaning and sensibility, truth and reality, unconditional love and pity draws us towards divine wisdom, which has to become yet principle of life and perspective for us.
Unfortunately, superficiality, show off, vain pride, and cheap popularity are the dominating standards of today's society - governments, political parties, religious institutions, cultural and social organizations all suffer from this detrimental disease. The human race seems to have lost its moral compass and is driven by egoistic motivations.
It is so silly when people try to sell their dime for a dollar. I feel bad for them, because no matter how hard they try to conceal their vanity, all their efforts end in smoke in the light of truth and reality. Vanity is a gap that you cannot fill with money, influence, family name, impressive speech, pathos, puffed-up words or unnatural gestures. Everything is revealed the moment you open your mouth, because the tongue delivers the message of the heart.
I stopped to listen to orators, who talk about lofty ideas from high podiums but have no idea what happens down the street, where old people beg for a piece of bread, women sell their body, men deal drugs and children are exploited. I can't respect those who preach something from the holy altar, and practice something else in real life - double standards are not good example for those who seek the truth.
I can't bear over-exaggeration, politically motivated publicity and making a big deal of nothing - "much ado about nothing" as Shakespeare puts it. That's annoying. My understanding is that when you are entrusted with particular duties or responsibilities, you should perform them to the best of your ability in a reasonable timeframe. You do what you are supposed to do - period! Why do people try to get extra credit for doing what they have to do? It's beyond my understanding. After all, honest work and good results don't need trumpeting. I realize that in order to be successful in this world you have to make friends with Mamon, play the politics and be good in the eyes of your earthly lords. Why should we flatter? Till when should we pretend and accept the wrong for right, when the Lord instructs us very clearly "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No?' (Matt. 5:37) How can we possibly think that discrediting someone exalts us, and that, by eliminating our competitors we become the winner and, thus, we secure our place in this world? Baloney.
This is an absurd - our life is an absurd, because we are not where God wants us to be and we are not doing what pleases Him. Instead, we have created this absurd for us full of fake values, empty words, lie, hypocrisy, flattery, materialism, and pride.
We need spiritual awakening, an "occupy" kind of movement, something shocking, thrilling, something inevitable like the day of judgment, or heavenly order mandated upon us, which would force reset and realign the whole concept of life to the normal. Yes, mandated upon us and inevitable, because if it were a choice, those who created this chaos would simply avoid it. I don't trust the free will, which for some reason chooses the sin instead of grace. I want God to be our guide in his paths of righteousness.
Unfortunately, superficiality, show off, vain pride, and cheap popularity are the dominating standards of today's society - governments, political parties, religious institutions, cultural and social organizations all suffer from this detrimental disease. The human race seems to have lost its moral compass and is driven by egoistic motivations.
It is so silly when people try to sell their dime for a dollar. I feel bad for them, because no matter how hard they try to conceal their vanity, all their efforts end in smoke in the light of truth and reality. Vanity is a gap that you cannot fill with money, influence, family name, impressive speech, pathos, puffed-up words or unnatural gestures. Everything is revealed the moment you open your mouth, because the tongue delivers the message of the heart.
I stopped to listen to orators, who talk about lofty ideas from high podiums but have no idea what happens down the street, where old people beg for a piece of bread, women sell their body, men deal drugs and children are exploited. I can't respect those who preach something from the holy altar, and practice something else in real life - double standards are not good example for those who seek the truth.
I can't bear over-exaggeration, politically motivated publicity and making a big deal of nothing - "much ado about nothing" as Shakespeare puts it. That's annoying. My understanding is that when you are entrusted with particular duties or responsibilities, you should perform them to the best of your ability in a reasonable timeframe. You do what you are supposed to do - period! Why do people try to get extra credit for doing what they have to do? It's beyond my understanding. After all, honest work and good results don't need trumpeting. I realize that in order to be successful in this world you have to make friends with Mamon, play the politics and be good in the eyes of your earthly lords. Why should we flatter? Till when should we pretend and accept the wrong for right, when the Lord instructs us very clearly "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No?' (Matt. 5:37) How can we possibly think that discrediting someone exalts us, and that, by eliminating our competitors we become the winner and, thus, we secure our place in this world? Baloney.
This is an absurd - our life is an absurd, because we are not where God wants us to be and we are not doing what pleases Him. Instead, we have created this absurd for us full of fake values, empty words, lie, hypocrisy, flattery, materialism, and pride.
We need spiritual awakening, an "occupy" kind of movement, something shocking, thrilling, something inevitable like the day of judgment, or heavenly order mandated upon us, which would force reset and realign the whole concept of life to the normal. Yes, mandated upon us and inevitable, because if it were a choice, those who created this chaos would simply avoid it. I don't trust the free will, which for some reason chooses the sin instead of grace. I want God to be our guide in his paths of righteousness.
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