SURROUNDED BY A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES"

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September 2, 2009

In Memory of Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan

What follows is the text of the sermon delivered by Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America, during a requiem service for Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, on
April 7, 2002, in New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral, on the occasion
of the 40th anniversary of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary. We are
republishing it as a tribute to the late Diocesan Primate Archbishop
Nerosyan, on the 20th anniversary of his passing.

"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval"
(Heb 11:1-2).

These are the words of the nameless author of the Epistle to the
Hebrews. They are powerful words, words that inspire hope, and console
the heart. They begin one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture-a
passage that re-tells in a brief time the entire biblical story,
its great figures and deeds, as viewed through the experience of faith.

It was by faith, the Apostle reminds us, that "Noah…constructed an
ark for the saving of his household" (Heb 11:7). It was by faith that
"Sarah received power to conceive, even when she was past the age"
of childbearing (Heb 11:11); by faith that Abraham "was tested,
offering up Isaac…his only son" (Heb 11:17). It was by faith that
"Moses left Egypt [as an exile], not fearing the anger of Pharaoh;
for he endured by seeing Him who is invisible" (Heb 11:27).

In each case, these heroes of the Bible had no concrete reason to
think that their actions and sacrifices would be rewarded. Indeed,
every rational experience told them that they were embarking on
impossible tasks, which would only bring them to ruin. And yet, each
one was willing to place his or her life on the line, even though they
could not see with certainty what the future held. Instead, they had
"the conviction of things not seen;" "the assurance of things hoped
for." They had trust in God’s promises to them. They had faith.

In time, that faith was rewarded. Noah’s Ark came to rest on Ararat;
Sarah gave birth to a son, Isaac, whose life was spared at the time
of Abraham’s testing. Moses delivered his people from the House of
Bondage, and came within view of the Promised Land.

These are wonderful examples to contemplate. They show us that our
trust in God is not in vain. And yet, the Apostle reminds us, this
is not the whole story. For man does not always see the fulfillment
of his trust, his faith. Sometimes, those "things hoped for," those
"things not seen," are never seen-at least not in a single human
lifetime. This, too, is part of the experience of faith, and it,
too, has its place in the Bible. The Apostle’s description of this
part of the Biblical record is heart-breaking, especially to our
own people: "Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains
and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were
killed with the sword. They went about in animal skins, destitute,
afflicted, ill-treated. The world was not worthy of them-yet they
wan¬dered over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the
earth. All of these, though their faith was well-attested, did not
receive what was promised" (Heb 11:36-39).

Why, we must ask, would a just and loving God allow man’s trust in
Him to seemingly go unfulfilled? The Apostle answers with these words:
"Because God had foreseen something better for us-that apart from us
they should not be made perfect" (Heb 11:39).

In other words, God was planning for something even greater to
happen-something that would involve not only the great "men of old,"
but us as well. Some would be called to sacrifice, so that others, at a
later time, could live to see God’s promises come to fulfillment. And
that promised fulfillment-once seen-would redeem all the sacrifices
and suffering that had come before.

That great event, the fulfillment of all of God’s promises, was the
advent of Christ. His very existence, and the drama of His life,
transforms us. Before He came, we were un-seeing hopers; because of
Him, we are witnesses. Indeed, says the Apostle:

"We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses; so…let us run…the
race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is [now] seated at the right hand of
the throne of God" (Heb 12:1-2).

I think this is an appropriate passage to reflect upon on this day:
New Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter. The whole world for
us should seem new, now that we’ve passed through the miracle of
Christ’s resurrection. We look back on past history, its triumphs
and tragedies, and we see it with new eyes-as the Apostle does in
his Letter to the Hebrews.

Equally fitting, I think, is our solemn remembrance today of Archbishop
Tiran Nersoyan. The accomplishments of his ministry were profound and
numerous. He was a great man of faith, and his faith was rewarded in
many ways during his lifetime.

But here, in this cathedral that is so much a part of his legacy,
let us also acknowledge that this is only part of the story of Tiran
Srpazan’s life. For often, in spite of his faith, he was called to
sacrifice. We who know his life so well do not have to rehearse the
difficulties he faced, the wounds he suffered, the opposition he
encountered-sometimes within our own community. He was-and remains-a
hero to so many. And yet even heroes-maybe especially heroes-are not
exempt from trial. One recalls the sorrowful words of the Apostle:
"The world was not worthy of them-yet they wandered over deserts and
mountains, in dens and caves of the earth."

Today, many years after his passing, Tiran Srpazan’s lofty spirit
still influences us, still drives us, still inspires us. Men and
women who were only children at the time of his passing encounter
his wisdom through his writings. People who never met him regard him
as perhaps the greatest figure of our Diocese-one of the greatest
figures in the modern history of the Armenian Church.

The faith Tiran Srpazan held in his heart-faith in God, faith in the
power of Christ, faith in the destiny of the Armenian nation, faith
in the vital mission of the Armenian Church in America-that faith
has truly seen its fulfillment. Tiran Nersoyan lived his life in "the
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen." Some
things he did not live to see. But his faith makes him a witness,
nonetheless.

Still, we must wonder: What allowed Tiran Srpazan to constantly
struggle onward, despite all obstacles? Certainly, he lived his entire
life in the light of Christ, and few men have been so alive to the
meaning of Christ’s mission. I can only point again to these words
in the Epistle to the Hebrews:

"Consider him who endured…such hostility against himself, so that
you may not grow weary or fainthearted…. Have you forgotten the
proverb which addresses you as sons?-‘My son,’ [it says,] ‘do not
regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you
are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
…every son whom he receives.’ So it is for discipline that you have
to endure. God is treating you as sons. And what son is there whom
his father does not discipline?" (Heb 12:3-7).

For Tiran Srpazan, his strength came from knowing that he was a
child of God: a God who loved him as a father loves his own son. May
that knowledge illuminate our own lives, as we strive to live up to
his example. And may our heavenly Father always hold his true son,
Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, in his loving gaze. Amen.