Armenian Wine, Turkish Bread: A Real-Life Journey of Reconciliation

By Rafi Shahverdyan and Noah Watson

Armenian Wine Turkish Bread is the story of one group's journey to the land of their ancestors in search of reconciliation; reconciliation with the history that has haunted their people for a century; reconciliation with those whose forefathers were responsible for that dark time. This group's leader, Pastor Rafi Shahverdyan, will take you through the landmarks of his journey as you engage with his people's heritage and history. As you walk with Pastor Rafi through Istanbul's bustling streets, you will discover the remains of Constantinople and her modern-day children who are still working to keep the flame of the ancient faith alive. Visit Izmir and discover the land, which once embraced the famous Church of Ephesus, and find out how her spiritual heirs are fighting to reclaim the "first love" about which their Master spoke more than two millennia ago. Enter Ayasofya and remember that, below the coverings and defacements, a dormant Hagia Sophia waits to be awakened by those who still remember her name. Along this noble journey, you will also be introduced to those whose lives are yet pressed under the caliper of national hatred, rejection, and hopelessness. Hear their stories and feel the pain of a people whose grand history has been marred by the stain of genocide. You may be surprised to learn how deep this people's commitment has been to their national faith and cultural identity in a world that has tried everything to destroy their place and name. Certainly, however, the same One, whose name they took more than 1700 years ago, is still at work in their nation, not the least in Pastor Rafi's team and their colleagues.
Take a seat at the table, whose surface is adorned with Lord's Supper. Experience the transforming power of forgiveness, even forgiveness of a centenarian evil of the deepest and darkest kind imaginable. Celebrate the unification of historical enemies around the common ground of the Cross, whose

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543947397

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Chapter 1

JOURNEY OF RECONCILIATION

East Germany's first freely elected Parliament admits joint responsibility on behalf of the people for the humiliation, expulsion and murder of Jewish women, men and children, and that cruelty, which has happened to them on our behalf… We feel sad and ashamed, and this burden, which has weighed heavily on Germany’s history, we accept… We ask the Jews of the world to forgive us… We ask the people of Israel to forgive us for the hypocrisy and hostility of official East German policies toward Israel and for the persecution and degradation of Jewish citizens also after 1945 in our country…

- A Letter from the First Democratic Government in

East Germany to the head of a Jewish organization,

April 12, 1990³

I am ashamed of the crime wrought by my fathers, and I whole-heartedly ask forgiveness from you, the Armenian people, for the blood spilt by me and my grandparents. I am asking that you forgive…

These are the words articulated by a Turkish Christian, Yüksel Kurada, in October of 2007 in Yerevan. On that memorable day, a man, who by nationality is Turkish, yet who is also a Christian pastor, descended to his knees on the platform of the assembly and tearfully asked forgiveness from the Armenian people for the crimes of his fathers. The entire hall of the congregation was stirred,⁴ and cries of forgiveness ascended from the hearts of the children of Christian Armenians.

A similar type of event happened also in 1995, when a large international conference was taking place in South Korea. There, Turkish Christian pastors kneeled before the Armenian pastors that were standing on the platform and pleaded for forgiveness. The whole assembly was shaken – the unrelenting applause of the multitude, numbering in the thousands, proved it.

The Turkish Christians moved forward, turning around their negative history. They were humbling themselves to the remembrance and acknowledgment of the Medz Yeghern.⁵ [As it is commonly said] The Turk does not ask for forgiveness, and the Armenian does not forgive. Nevertheless, Christian Turks are the ones who will change their history, and along with forgiving Armenians, they will build the enduring memorial of reconciliation.

In this way, we became acquainted with the reality⁶ of Turkish Christians; this was something new for all of us, likely being the answer to the final prayers of our martyrs. The Turk has always been Muslim, and we, gâvur,⁷ which is to say, godless. Now, they are turning into gâvur-s, putting their own lives in danger, and, not being satisfied therewith, they are also bringing forth forgiveness in the place of the crime wrought by their Muslim forefathers.

Yüksel’s apology spurred an historic journey toward Turkey for prayer and for loosing forgiveness as an answer to the apologies of the multitude of those like Yüksel. We began to pray and make preparations. In the midst of our meditating upon these things, political changes were developing between Armenia and Turkey that were to melt the frozen relationship between the two countries.

Historic Football (Soccer) Game

September 6, 2008: Upon the green covering of Hrazdan Field, the flags of Armenia and Turkey were rolled out, and side-by-side, the two discordant countries’ soccer players made their entrance onto the field. The destiny of Heavenly reconciliation had put both teams into the same subgroup. Not only were the players greeted by the applause of tens of thousands of Armenian fans, but you would think that history itself was also applauding them. There, excited before the television monitor, I was praying, Lord, heal our lands and our people. It seemed that, after a century, our prayers were being answered. Although Turkey won the match, and although we lost, the real winners that day were the peoples of both nations and their generations to come. For the first time, our president and the Turkish president sat side-by-side, making history. We applauded the Turks that day in our stadium, while a century before we were fallen in their arena, as it were, to be torn to pieces. History is astonishingly capricious and unpredictable.

A certain amount of time passed… political gatherings were becoming active, as that which began with athletics continued on with politics.

Deserted Western Armenia⁸ has longed for Armenians, and what’s more, praying and interceding Armenians, because our bloodstained ground will only be delivered of the curse by the pilgrimage and prayers of Armenian descendants. In 2007, a group of our young people visited Western Armenia, and this was their report upon their return: Our Armenians’ land has need of our visitation and our prayers. It is indispensably necessary to return there soon and lift up prayer upon the ground of our homeland;⁹ we must soon return to Turkey. It was as though, with our longing eyes uplifted like Komitas Vardapet,¹⁰ we too wanted to sing …

The political field was working on its own, yet we also had our part during the making of this history. Throughout history, the Church by its prayer has made ruins of ramparts, split rivers, and opened the gates of fortresses. Now, an inner call was also urging us to move toward our ancestors’ land and lift up an aromatic prayer in response to the call of our forefathers’ blood. Turkey will repent and ask for forgiveness, and by forgiving our nation will be healed. Prayer and intercession are a necessity.

Remembering the words of Senator Sam Nunn, Philip Yancey writes,

"The Cold War, says former Senator Sam Nunn, ended 'not in a nuclear inferno, but in a blaze of candles in the churches of Eastern Europe.'¹² Candlelight processions in East Germany did not show up well on the evening news, but they helped change the face of the globe.

First a few hundred, then a thousand, then thirty thousand, fifty thousand, and finally five hundred thousand—nearly the entire population of the city—turned out in Leipzig for candlelight vigils. After a prayer meeting at St. Nikolai Church, the peaceful protestors would march through the dark streets, singing hymns. Police and soldiers with all their weapons seemed powerless against such a force. Ultimately, on the night a similar march in East Berlin attracted one million protestors, the hated Berlin Wall came tumbling down without a shot being fired.

A huge banner appeared across a Leipzig street:

'Wir danken Dir, Kirche (Church, we thank you).'¹³

Finally, we resolved our historic decision – we determined to respond to the call of our fathers’ blood and to the apology of Yüksel and the many Turks like him. So, we set off on the road of forgiveness and reconciliation toward Turkey – that we might, as the poet says, get news from our world. So, it was in this way that our journey of reconciliation began.

We traveled toward Istanbul, our old Bolis.¹⁴ We were six people in all: Etera Yeghoyan, psychologist; Iranian Armenian Anahit Keshishyan, yeretskin;¹⁵ Ashot Galstyan, minister; Emilia Stepanyan, historian; Kristiné Stepanyan, psychologist-counselor; and myself, Rafi Shahverdyan.

I was very excited and emotional. I was thinking that right when I would reach Bolis, my heart would explode; for sure I am going to cry, and perhaps I will shout aloud…of course, I am going to weep there – living out the lives of Siamanto, Daniel Varoujan, Grigor Zohrab, Komitas and