LOVE CARVED IN STONE

This morning I woke up at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin — the beating heart of our Armenian Church. (I’m visiting Armenia this week with the FAR board to see their programs firsthand). As the sun rose, I stepped outside to pray and walk around the Cathedral, just like I often do. But today, something stopped me in my tracks. Right there, in front of the ancient Cathedral, workers were installing a medieval khachkar — a cross-stone from the year 1279.

Now, most of the Armenian crosstones don’t show Christ on the cross; they proclaim victory, His resurrection, the triumph of life. But this one was different. It is called Amenaprkich — All-Savior. In its center, the crucified Christ. Not to dwell on defeat, but to declare unstoppable love. On its sides, in ancient script, were these breathtaking words: “The hands that created the heavens you spread on the cross.”

Think about that. The same hands that flung stars into space, that shaped mountains, that painted the dawn sky, those hands reached out for you and me. They didn’t stay distant and untouchable in heaven; they stretched wide on the cross to bring us home.

In a world that often forgets God or remakes Him in our image, here built upon centuries of faith, a slab of stone preaches the same unchanging Gospel that has saved countless souls: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16). That is the message of the cross. The cross is not a symbol of suffering. It’s a love letter carved in eternity.

Some of us come here today weary, carrying burdens no one else sees. You may feel forgotten or invisible. You may wonder if God notices your pain or the quiet prayers you whisper at night. But that cross carved in stone whispers the answer — and it’s not a whisper of despair. It shouts hope. It says, “You are loved. You are worth the price Jesus paid.”

So, whatever valley you are walking through, whatever questions weigh on your heart, stand still for a moment. Look at the cross, let it remind you of a love stronger than death, deeper than despair, and closer than your next breath. Because the hands that created the heavens and were stretched on the cross are still holding you today.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
September 30, 2025