FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

These two photographs, placed side by side, tell a story far beyond what the eye can see. One, nearly a century old, captures my grandfather, Jirayr Parsamyan (third from the left), standing with his friends—survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Though they had lost so much, they never lost their faith. The other photograph? It shows me standing in the very same place where I was ordained first as a priest, and later as a bishop. Together, these images witness God’s unwavering hand, faithfully guiding our family through the generations.

My grandfather was forced to flee his homeland, Western Armenia, because of the first genocide of the 20th century perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey from 1915 to 1923. He walked through suffering, through hardship, through unimaginable loss. He arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece, carrying nothing but hope in his heart. In 1935, he journeyed to Yerevan, Armenia. And yet, through all the pain and all the uncertainty, God was at work. He was writing a greater story—one of endurance, of faith, and of His ever-present grace.

Now, decades later, here I am, standing in the same place my grandfather once stood. That’s not a coincidence—that’s the faithfulness of God, who is a generational God. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

That means God is not just blessing you—He’s blessing those who come after you! He is a God of generations. He honors the faith of those who came before us. Maybe your parents or grandparents prayed for you, sowed seeds of faith, believed for greater things in your life. You may not even realize it, but you’re walking in the blessings they fought for.

And, friends, you are going to do the same for the next generation! The faith you live out today will impact your children, your grandchildren, and those yet to come. And just as God was faithful to our ancestors, He will be faithful to us, and to the generations yet to come. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And His faithfulness never fails.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
March 14, 2025