Gift Giving
Two men were discussing what they were going to buy their wives for Christmas. One of the men said, “This year I think I will just wrap myself up as a present and give myself to my wife.” To which the other man replied, “Well I am not giving my wife much either.”
What do we give and to whom do we give when it is Jesus’ birthday that we celebrate? This is a question that we should ask when we celebrate Christmas.
Gift-giving is an expression of love and thankfulness. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16). Apostle Paul to the Corinthians said, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).
Gifts on Christmas should be given to God and to Jesus. Yet we often forget Him and instead spend days wondering what we should give each other, to the point that we even consider wrapping ourselves as a gift. There is no wrong in gift-giving; it expresses our love and thankfulness. Let us however not forget God, He gave his Son out of His indescribable love, and let us put more sense in our giving. First, let us give ourselves to the Lord. Make Christmas the day of our re-birth through Christ and then give with love and compassion not only to those who we love, but to those who need our love and care.
“Truly I tell you, just as you did to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
What do we give and to whom do we give when it is Jesus’ birthday that we celebrate? This is a question that we should ask when we celebrate Christmas.
Gift-giving is an expression of love and thankfulness. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16). Apostle Paul to the Corinthians said, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).
Gifts on Christmas should be given to God and to Jesus. Yet we often forget Him and instead spend days wondering what we should give each other, to the point that we even consider wrapping ourselves as a gift. There is no wrong in gift-giving; it expresses our love and thankfulness. Let us however not forget God, He gave his Son out of His indescribable love, and let us put more sense in our giving. First, let us give ourselves to the Lord. Make Christmas the day of our re-birth through Christ and then give with love and compassion not only to those who we love, but to those who need our love and care.
“Truly I tell you, just as you did to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
By Dikran Youmshakian
http://www.amaa.org
Opening of the new church building of the Armenian Evangelical Church in Arnouville, France
Website: http://www.hisous.org/
*Note: We later understood that the pastor of Arnouville church, Rev. Sarkis Baroudjian, is born and raised in Lebanon in the Armenian Evangelical Marash Church.
*Note: We later understood that the pastor of Arnouville church, Rev. Sarkis Baroudjian, is born and raised in Lebanon in the Armenian Evangelical Marash Church.
ARMISS choir, Christmas Concert on Youtube
ARMISS choir performing the Air For Advent
Books for Life of Bible Society received its share from the blast
Christian youth movements call for signs of unity
A number of major international Christian youth movements and organizations called for stronger efforts towards unity in a joint statement issued on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Addressed to the heads of the Roman Catholic Church, the World Council of Churches, Christian World Communions and Regional Ecumenical Organizations, the statement asks them to "share ecumenical dialogue with young people" and expresses the commitment of the signatories to "raise awareness of the importance of Christian unity among young people".
Source: World Council of Churches
Source: World Council of Churches
A street in Lyon was named in memory of Hrant Dink
On January 19, on initiative of Mayor of Lyon Gerald Colomb, a street was named in memory of Hrant Dink.
Pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church Rene Levonian conveyed the gratitude of Dink’s widow Rakel.
Turkish Ambassador to France Ismail Hakka Musa also attended the ceremony. However, he left immediately after the event participants referred to the 1915 events.
Pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church Rene Levonian conveyed the gratitude of Dink’s widow Rakel.
Turkish Ambassador to France Ismail Hakka Musa also attended the ceremony. However, he left immediately after the event participants referred to the 1915 events.
Think Before You Post
Watch this trailer on youtube...
You have to be aware of what you're posting on the web.
Here's a question that will help you decide whether what you will post about yourself is for your own good: Will my parents be proud of me if they see it? Could it be used against my own good? Might I later regret about posting it? Could I lose my job because of it?
Educating our kids and youth about the web...
You have to be aware of what you're posting on the web.
Here's a question that will help you decide whether what you will post about yourself is for your own good: Will my parents be proud of me if they see it? Could it be used against my own good? Might I later regret about posting it? Could I lose my job because of it?
Educating our kids and youth about the web...
Ten Thousand Gathered in Istanbul in Memory of Hrant Dink
http://www.bianet.org/english/kategori/english/104282/more-than-ten-thousand-gathered-in-memory-of-hrant-dink
On the first anniversary of the murder of journalist Hrant Dink, more than ten thousand people gathered in front of the Agos newspaper office, the place where he was shot.
On 19th January 2007, Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, was shot dead in front of his office in Sisli, Istanbul. The country was shocked by pictures of his prostrate body on the pavement, covered by newspapers, with just the worn soles of his shoes visible. A voice of dialogue and democracy had been silenced.
Hrant Dink’s funeral turned into a reaction against racism and nationalism, as tens of thousands of people gathered in a silent procession which accompanied Hrant Dink’s body from his newspaper office to the church where he was laid to rest.
Last year a call to "question the darkness"
The most moving part of the procession was a speech by Hrant Dink’s widow, Rakel Dink. She spoke out against the increasing nationalism in the country. Referring to the young age of the suspected triggerman, she said: “Whatever may be the age of the murderers, 17 or 27, I know that they were born as babies. Without questioning the darkness that has created murderers, my brothers and sisters, there is no way forward.”
People carried placards reading “We are all Hrant, we are all Armenian”, a sign of solidarity, and also a protest at the fact that Hrant Dink was murdered for his identity. There was later a nationalist backlash against the slogan, with people deliberately misunderstanding the sentiment behind the expression of empathy.
No justice yet
In the year since the murder, the Dink family has had to discover that it is difficult to “question the darkness.” Although the official murder suspects are on trial, it seems clear that those really responsible are will not be prosecuted. The Trabzon Gendarmerie and the Istanbul Police are accused of gross negligence, as they knew of murder plans long before the attack happened. Evidence has been withheld and permission to investigate security officers has been refused.
"If he had lived, he would be in prison now"
Thus today’s gathering was as much a commemoration of Hrant Dink as a protest against the continuing darkness.More than ten thousand people gathered in the street of the Agos newspaper office, the place where Hrant Dink was shot.
The site of his murder was covered with a picture of Hrant Dink, candles and flowers. People shouted slogans such as “Long live the brotherhood of peoples” and “The murderer state will be made accountable.” Foreign press was in strong attendance.
Like last year, widow Rakel Dink addressed the crowd. Referring to Hrant Dink’s sentence under the controversial Article 301, she said: “They say, ‘who has gone to prison [under Article 301]?’ I say, if they had let my violin [her term of endearment for her husband] live, he would be in prison now, because if they had let him live, he would be in his third month in prison now.”
"You are here for justice"
She said that Hrant Dink’s blood had not become quiet: “The sound of blood can only be silenced with justice. And this is what you are here for today, for justice.”
Saying that “the pain has made us relatives,” Rakel Dink reminded the crowd of the many sickening indicators of approval of the murder: the gendarmerie officers arresting suspected triggerman O.S., who put a flag in his hand and took souvenir photographs of themselves with the suspect, football fans who reacted to the slogan at the funeral procession by shouting in stadiums, ‘We are all Ogün’ [referring to one of the murder suspects], the intelligence officer Muhittin Zenit who spoke to Erhan Tuncel , police informant and murder suspect, shortly after the murder and evidently knew of the murder plan.
Rakel Dink asked: “What has my country’s justice system done about the gendarmerie who knew everything up to the brand of the gun that was used in the murder, about the [nationalist organisations] who planned the murder? What has my country’s justice system done about the assistant governor and his so-called friends who tried to put my husband in his place?”
Writer and peace activist Arundhati Roy attended the commemoration at Rakel Dink’s side, also standing at the window of the Agos newspaper office.
"Hrant needs our courage"
Journalist Oral Calislar also spoke to the crowd. He said, “Hrant’s murder was planned by a group…We have realised that they decided long before to kill him…The newspapers made him into a target…at the court hearings [for his trial under Article 301] they tried to lynch him.”
“We now know those who are putting guns into the hands of children…We know those who led and encouraged. It needs courage to make the murderers and organisations within the state accountable. Hrant needs our courage.”
The gathering was joined by Joost Lagendijk, co-chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Turkish academics, politicians and activists of the left, writers and journalists. (EÖ/TK/AG)
On the first anniversary of the murder of journalist Hrant Dink, more than ten thousand people gathered in front of the Agos newspaper office, the place where he was shot.
On 19th January 2007, Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, was shot dead in front of his office in Sisli, Istanbul. The country was shocked by pictures of his prostrate body on the pavement, covered by newspapers, with just the worn soles of his shoes visible. A voice of dialogue and democracy had been silenced.
Hrant Dink’s funeral turned into a reaction against racism and nationalism, as tens of thousands of people gathered in a silent procession which accompanied Hrant Dink’s body from his newspaper office to the church where he was laid to rest.
Last year a call to "question the darkness"
The most moving part of the procession was a speech by Hrant Dink’s widow, Rakel Dink. She spoke out against the increasing nationalism in the country. Referring to the young age of the suspected triggerman, she said: “Whatever may be the age of the murderers, 17 or 27, I know that they were born as babies. Without questioning the darkness that has created murderers, my brothers and sisters, there is no way forward.”
People carried placards reading “We are all Hrant, we are all Armenian”, a sign of solidarity, and also a protest at the fact that Hrant Dink was murdered for his identity. There was later a nationalist backlash against the slogan, with people deliberately misunderstanding the sentiment behind the expression of empathy.
No justice yet
In the year since the murder, the Dink family has had to discover that it is difficult to “question the darkness.” Although the official murder suspects are on trial, it seems clear that those really responsible are will not be prosecuted. The Trabzon Gendarmerie and the Istanbul Police are accused of gross negligence, as they knew of murder plans long before the attack happened. Evidence has been withheld and permission to investigate security officers has been refused.
"If he had lived, he would be in prison now"
Thus today’s gathering was as much a commemoration of Hrant Dink as a protest against the continuing darkness.More than ten thousand people gathered in the street of the Agos newspaper office, the place where Hrant Dink was shot.
The site of his murder was covered with a picture of Hrant Dink, candles and flowers. People shouted slogans such as “Long live the brotherhood of peoples” and “The murderer state will be made accountable.” Foreign press was in strong attendance.
Like last year, widow Rakel Dink addressed the crowd. Referring to Hrant Dink’s sentence under the controversial Article 301, she said: “They say, ‘who has gone to prison [under Article 301]?’ I say, if they had let my violin [her term of endearment for her husband] live, he would be in prison now, because if they had let him live, he would be in his third month in prison now.”
"You are here for justice"
She said that Hrant Dink’s blood had not become quiet: “The sound of blood can only be silenced with justice. And this is what you are here for today, for justice.”
Saying that “the pain has made us relatives,” Rakel Dink reminded the crowd of the many sickening indicators of approval of the murder: the gendarmerie officers arresting suspected triggerman O.S., who put a flag in his hand and took souvenir photographs of themselves with the suspect, football fans who reacted to the slogan at the funeral procession by shouting in stadiums, ‘We are all Ogün’ [referring to one of the murder suspects], the intelligence officer Muhittin Zenit who spoke to Erhan Tuncel , police informant and murder suspect, shortly after the murder and evidently knew of the murder plan.
Rakel Dink asked: “What has my country’s justice system done about the gendarmerie who knew everything up to the brand of the gun that was used in the murder, about the [nationalist organisations] who planned the murder? What has my country’s justice system done about the assistant governor and his so-called friends who tried to put my husband in his place?”
Writer and peace activist Arundhati Roy attended the commemoration at Rakel Dink’s side, also standing at the window of the Agos newspaper office.
"Hrant needs our courage"
Journalist Oral Calislar also spoke to the crowd. He said, “Hrant’s murder was planned by a group…We have realised that they decided long before to kill him…The newspapers made him into a target…at the court hearings [for his trial under Article 301] they tried to lynch him.”
“We now know those who are putting guns into the hands of children…We know those who led and encouraged. It needs courage to make the murderers and organisations within the state accountable. Hrant needs our courage.”
The gathering was joined by Joost Lagendijk, co-chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Turkish academics, politicians and activists of the left, writers and journalists. (EÖ/TK/AG)
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