HELD IN HIS HANDS

During the summer months, I like to take my evening walks from St. Vartan Cathedral to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and back—2.6 miles through the heart of New York City. And right there at the entrance of Rockefeller Center, there’s a famous statue of Atlas. This bronze figure is straining under the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. You can feel the pressure in his muscles. That’s how many of us are living. Carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.

And yet, just across the street, tucked inside the quiet of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, there’s another statue. This one is of Jesus, just a boy. And He, too, is holding the whole world, but effortlessly in his hand. He’s not straining, He’s not stressed, He’s not worried. That little hand is holding the entire world with complete ease and peace. That’s how we are called to live. Surrendering our world to the One who already holds it all.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” It doesn’t say carry them. It says cast them. Let them go. Release them into God’s hands.

So often, we try to control every detail—the outcome, the timing, the people in our lives. We think, “If I can just get it all lined up, if I can just make it happen my way, then I’ll have peace.” But the truth is, that kind of control is just an illusion. And that illusion is what leaves us anxious, overwhelmed, and frustrated.

The only thing we can control is ourselves—our choices, our responses, our attitude. We can choose to trust, we can choose to surrender. And in that surrender, we find real freedom. There’s peace in saying, “God, I don’t have to figure this all out. I’m trusting You.” When you let go, you’re not losing control, you’re placing it in the hands of the One who never loses control.

So today, release the weight. Let go of the worry. Let go of the pressure. “Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22). You weren’t created to carry the world. You were created to trust the One who already is.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
May 16, 2025