CAMBRIDGE, Mass—On Sunday, March 8, the five Armenian churches of Boston—Armenian Memorial Church (Watertown), St. James Armenian Apostolic Church (Watertown), St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church (Watertown), First Armenian Church (Belmont) and Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church (Cambridge)—celebrated a day of learning and fellowship with young people. The workshop titled “Lightlab: Are You in His Light?” was created for students in grades 2 through 8.
Lightlab was held at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church (HTAAC) at its Charles and Nevart Talanian Hall. There were 115 students in attendance, along with 30 Sunday School teachers and many parents from the five churches, taking in the power of Christ in a whole new way.
“What a blessed event…to gather five churches, two denominations and different views united with Christ,” said grandmother and Armenian Memorial Church member Arpi Sarian. “This is [the] beginning of [a] revival.”
Sunday School programs from participating churches collaborated with Suzanne Shera, an optics engineer, science teacher and Christian educator, who wrote Lightlab: Lessons for Kids to Explore the Nature of Light and to Know Jesus. Shera, who lived and received her education in Boston, now resides in Philadelphia. The aim of the collaboration was to help students contemplate the light of Christ together through experiential learning.
Yn. Arpi Kouzouian and Arpi Boynerian warmly welcomed the participants, albeit with reminders to take health precautions with hand washing, as the public was becoming informed of the coronavirus. The team of organizers included Yn. Arpi Kouzouian (HTAAC), Arpi Boynerian and Maral Orchanian (Armenian Memorial Church), Carol Nahigian and Susan Duffy (First Armenian Church), Nayiri Baljian-Bell and Angelique Ourfalian (St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church), and Yn. Natasha Aljalian and Laura Purutyan (St. James Armenian Apostolic Church). Talented musician John Baboian opened the program by setting a tone of joy and gratitude for God’s creation. Baboian with the help of student volunteers inspired the audience to sing from the heart, including “Soorp Asdvadz,” “This Little Light of Mine” and other songs of praise.
Shera introduced the topic of light with a 20-minute visual presentation, looking at ways that we encounter light through our Armenian Christian culture. There are countless examples, starting with how Armenians greet one another—paree looys/good light. In fact, our churches, art and traditions are full of examples of light. We call Saint Gregory, who helped bring Christianity to Armenia, the Illuminator or Enlightener. The importance of light is ever-present throughout Armenia as well, from church windows and domes that let in light to candles in churches and the Bible itself. The translation of the Bible into Armenian turned Armenians toward the light of Christ. Shera referred to I Corinthians 12:12 to help students connect the science of light to their personal practice of faith: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”
Shera then talked about two scientists Michael Faraday and James Maxwell—friends who shared not only a great curiosity and love for learning science, but also their Christian faith. Faraday invented the electric motor and predicted that light is electromagnetic, but people laughed at him. At the time he couldn’t prove his theory. Faraday once said, “The book of nature, which we have to read, is written by the finger of God.” Maxwell was a mathematician and proved that light travels by electric and magnetic waves. “I think men of science as well as other men need to learn from Christ, and I think Christians whose minds are scientific are bound to study science that their view of the glory of God may be as extensive as their being is capable,” said Maxwell. Shera also introduced Isaac Newton’s color wheel to prepare students for the hands-on activity, showing that white light is the combination of all colors, and it is energy which our brains learn to discern.
Following Shera’s lesson, students plunged into the activity with their peers from different parishes. Each student created a color wheel and learned to make them spin, discovering how the many colors together become white. Following the hands-on activity, Shera explained how our individual gifts are designed to work in harmony, to be fruitful and reflect the light of Christ. Just as any team in school, sports or the arts needs the talents, gifts and commitment of many different people to create a whole that is beautiful and good, so it is true for the church, the Body of Christ. One sixth grader commented, “I want to think and see what is my role in my church.”
Students, teachers and parents enjoyed pizza and clementines while mingling with old and new friends. Many were excited about this opportunity and expressed their interest in learning and experiencing the Armenian Christian faith as a community together.
“It was great. With the apparent dichotomy between science and faith getting stronger as the years go by, it is more and more important to remind students that faith and science are compatible,” said Armen Festekjian, a Boston College undergraduate and Lightlab volunteer. “The combination of the Christian faith and the spirit of scientific discovery during this gathering of young Armenian Sunday School students…is a hopeful reminder of this truth for the youth.”
Laura Purutyan
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It is heart- warming to read of your Armenian Sunday School groups meeting together in Mass. I am from Philadelphia, and have known Suzanne for more than 15 years. She first gave some of these hands- on science sessions to 4-5 th graders in our suburban church. Her love for the Savior and her expertise in Light made it a joy to learn. Then, God had her step out in faith to expand her knowledge to Homeschool groups, neighborhood classes, and publish her well- documented labs. May God be praised!