Today marks a very solemn milestone in the modern history of the Armenian people. It was two years ago, on November 9, 2020, that the Artsakh war ended, after 44 days of brutal conflict, initiated through an unprovoked surprise attack on our homeland.
Even two years later, the terrible realities of the war—the loss of land, the displacement of our countrymen, the tragedy of Armenian P.O.W.’s and M.I.A.’s, and worst of all, the loss of countless precious lives among our courageous soldiers and civilians—are deeply painful.
Worst of all, perhaps, we have seen in recent months that despite the great costs Armenians have borne, the 2020 ceasefire was inconclusive, leaving Artsakh—and even Armenia itself—vulnerable to attack and desecration.
We are aware, of course, that our people are not strangers to distress and affliction: struggling against hostility, and persevering against the odds, are hallmarks of Armenian history. Our ancestors knew all too well that at such times, the purposes of God may be very hard to discern. But He has not sustained us through the past centuries only to see us fracture and fragment. The Armenian people are called to live in the spirit of unity. And in that spirit, we must ask our Father in Heaven to reveal His will for us.
Now, the passage of a second year since that heartbreaking day is a moment to attend to those words again. Today, we ask our merciful Lord to console all of our people: in Armenia and Artsakh; in America and around the world. We pray as one people that the Lord Jesus Christ will remember, and honor, every sacrifice made in those 44 days of struggle, and in the two years since the war—for every single one was made in His name. We ask our risen Lord to lead us on the difficult and uncertain path that lies ahead.
Most of all, we ask Him to bless and protect Armenia, Artsakh, and His Armenian Church and people, now and always.