La Cañada Flintridge
The concept of being assigned a guardian angel is pretty comforting in a world that is plagued by uncertainty and fears. I would say that most all time periods throughout history have had challenges, and guardian angels have been a handy way of suppressing our natural anxieties. Certainly today, with the economic and political climate being what they are, people will grasp for anything — person, spirit or institution — that promises hope. It’s the security blanket for our worries.
Believing in guardian angels is no different from believing that the government can bail us, even at a cost of $700 billion, out of the mess caused by our materialism. Or that drilling, drilling and more drilling in Alaska will solve a problem that has festered because of our disregard for the planet’s natural resources. Or that by sending new strategists to the front lines of wars, we will bypass the serious pains caused by injustice or justice not served.
Why do we accept these “guardians” over us, as wild and as extreme as they sound? Certainly not because they are tangible. No one really understands how big $700 billion, or drilling in the Arctic, or the ramifications of war will be on yet-unborn generations. But we believe in these extreme solutions, and that buys us enough anxiety relief to continue our lives as “normal.”
I believe in guardian angels. In the Armenian Orthodox tradition, angels are messengers, and the guardian variety deliver a message from God, which can only be love. Therefore, to be “guarded” by these beings throws the responsibility on our shoulders; that is, we need to adhere to their message, the message of love.
When we love, we are guarded and protected from all peril. We find tranquillity in our hearts, we radiate hope to others, and we effectuate peace in this world.
FR. VAZKEN MOVSESIAN
In His Shoes Mission
Armenian Church Youth Ministries
Glendale
