Armenia (MNN) — Last month, the U.S. joined several other countries in recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The Ottoman Empire, which covered modern-day Turkey, carried out this mass killing of 1.5 million Armenians during World War I.
Eric Mock of the Slavic Gospel Association says this violence hangs over Armenians to this day. “They’re very aware of the assault on the Armenian people. In the recent conflict, it was very clear when Azerbaijan partnered with Turkey to bring in Syrian freedom fighters to fight in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, that this tension between Turkey and Armenia has not subsided. So for the people of Armenia, they have always felt the assault of Turkey, always felt the assault on them as a people. And they feel a little bit boxed in with Azerbaijan on one side and Turkey on the other.”
Armenian Christians
Despite the declaration from the U.S. or other countries, Mock says daily life for Armenians remains the same. But local Christians are pointing to the hope found in Jesus. “And faithful Armenian believers are proclaiming the Gospel to their people, planting churches, and making a difference in their country. And it’s the greatest effort of God to push back against the darkness that they deal with on an everyday basis.”
As Armenians see themselves continually hated, pray the love of Christians would draw many to Jesus.
The header photo shows an old tank sitting in the Armenian countryside. (Photo courtesy of Viviani Harambe from Pixabay)
