Mentors of Georgian Patriotism. Iovane Sabanisdze

During the course of its long, complex and full of dramas history the Georgian people, by the grace of God, were not deprived of its heroes and mentors, who by their deeds and words, by their example and comprehension of the example, taught to love its native country and its people. All of these heroes and mentors have their own, and some of them sharply distinctive characters.

Incidentally, among the teachers we will also have to call the Blessed Virgin Mary, though, because She once visited a Greek-speaking Georgian lad, later a great devotee of the Georgian language and culture St. Euthymius the Holy Mountain, and encouraged him to "freely speak Georgian." And thus, along with the servicing to Christ and the Entire Church She entrusted him with the responsibility of servicing to faithful people of Georgia and its Church.¹

One of the first and greatest mentors among the other was Iovane Sabanisdze who in the end of 8th Century scripted the life and martyrdom of young Arabian man Abo who was executed in Tbilisi by the Muslim invaders for believing in Christ and joining the Georgian people, who professed Christianity.

Since then many centuries have passed and many words have been said and written on the subject of patriotism in Georgia and around the world. Even more that during the last centuries the idea of ​​patriotism was one of the most significant and commonly used. However, we are not aware of another example in the world literature where this theme is understood and represented so greatly, so gracefully, with a national specialty, and universally at the same time.

This essay, although of not so big volume from outside, appears to be exceptionally meaningful inside. Therefore, we shall review only some thematic lines and the conclusions that flow out of them.

For Iovane Sabanisdze, love of motherland is closely connected with the Christian faith and more personally with Christ. At the same time, Christ and faith in Christ does not mean for Sabanisdze just one of wealth and ornaments of his country, although the greatest and most significant one, for which it is worth fighting for, and even sacrificing for. This is the only subject for him of that kind. In any case, Iovane Sabanisdze does not name anything else. He does not mourn any material treasure or cultural heritage (although perhaps he implicitly means national independence, as after the loss of independence followed brutal religious oppression against the motherland of Sabanisdze). The only thing that Sabanisdze believes is worthy to care or even mention was Christ and union of Christ with his people, which by his knowledge accounted for five hundred years and more.

Actually, such high spirit does not exclude love for any decorating feature or talent of homeland, or its people. Let’s recall Grigol Khandzteli at least - one of the greatest Georgian ascetics, who at the same time with great admiration and poetic inspiration reminds the beauty of the nature in Tao-Klardjeti. After all, even this is a gift of God's mercy (“God created”), as noted by Grigol Khandzteli.² But Sabanisdze personally is so captivated by love of Christ, by His endless beauty and spiritual wealth that he forgets about anything else. As the edges of precious stone, with enthusiasm and admiration he counts divine treasures hidden in Christ - Who is the Door to the Kingdom, The Path to the rising into heaven, the Lamb which slaughtered in sake of us, the giving everlasting life - and so without end. Along with this, the patriotism which is so strictly realized by this mentor is neither blind nor illegible. It is bounded on both sides, rather, limited on one side and open and expanded on the other side. On the one hand, Sabanisdze can see that, unfortunately, not every Georgian stands at a level of this exceptional divine national mission. When we say "unfortunately" it is not just a figure of speech. Sabanisdze indeed regrets and bitterly laments his fellow countrymen who at that time drawn away from Christ being under the pressure of foreign and non-Christian invaders. "We mixed with the people who are different by the law (the faith), who departed from Christ, with the kind a lover of this world, from whom learned their works and were slaves of thoughts of our hearts in imitation to them, as ones who desperate in Christ and who forgot about eternal life." He grieves separately about one of his countrymen, who out of fear of death twice denied Christ and "this sheep of Christ was torn by a wolf," and stepped away "from the herd of those wording sheep." At the same time, his patriotic feeling and consciousness is open to those who will accept Christ and join those who trust in Him. This kind of a person can not only be part of the Georgian people, but also become one of his selected sons. If we would use the phraseology of the Psalmist David, it means to become not only "friend", but also "the leader".³ Therefore, following the heroic self-sacrifice, Abo is recognized, first by determination of the Georgian Catholicos and then by justification of Sabanisdze, not only the son of the people and the Church of Georgia, but the patron and intercessor to Christ for this nation and the Church.

Prior to that, the same dignity was granted to another foreigner Eustathi (Eustathius) of Mtskheta whose relics were placed by Catholicos and believing people in the temple of Mtskheta, the Georgia main temple and the tomb of the kings. But what was presented as a single fact in the "Martyrdom of Evstati", is comprehended and represented in the "Martyrdom of Abo" as a unique and intrinsic part of Georgian Christianity. This way, Sabanisdze appears to be a successor and at the same time the discoverer and the preacher the peculiar tradition of Georgian patriotism. Georgian nation, in understanding of Sabanisdze, are the people who believe in Christ, or as understood by the initial Church, the nation of the Saints. Thus, anyone who would join it through the faith in Christ becomes a part of these Saints. He himself might become a national shrine by the power of superior love for Christ and sacrifice for Him. Sabanidze writes specifically about such a personality. But behind this personality his keen eyes, reinforced by prayer and guidance of the Catholicos, can see others characters similar to Abo, whom we know and possibly do not know, the heroes of the Georgian people and the Church, can see the identity of Georgian fate. He selects wonderful title for Georgia - "Mother of the Saints", thus putting equals between his homeland, his people and the Christian Church, its local part. This, of course is not the legal formula that can be used in the earthly judgment. Historical existence of our people gives us several examples when a non-Georgian would by his faith work for prosperity and glory of Mother of the Saints, and when another one, formally the son of Georgian Church would make it damage by misdeed or direct hit. There were those who first sacrificed themselves for it, and then harmed it. All of this is subject to the High Court and the decision of the Eternal Judge, as in the parable where the householder prohibits pulling the weeds in the field “because if you gather the weeds, you’ll pull up the wheat along with them.”⁴ Or according to the famous saying that "patriotism is the last resort of a scoundrel," in the sense that such a person can also acquire a good name by sacrifice for his country. But Ioane Sabanisdze offers us a norm that the true Georgian is the one whose love for Georgia and the Georgian people is lit and warmed by the higher, heavenly light and love, who loves Georgia in Christ, in close and indivisible unity with Christ.

Hero of Sabanisdze - Abo Tbileli is an excellent example and model of such love. Sabanisdze has not created this character same way as the author of invented story makes up his characters. God gave Abo to Georgia as a hero, and Sabanisdze as first character of his work. But the genius of Sabanisdze is that he could see not a single act of faith in God given phenomenon of transforming Arab-Muslim into the Georgian Christian martyr, but an event of national scale. And like a great sculptor, he carved from lump of human fact an image where he didn’t miss any important features.

For an inhabitant of Baghdad, a young Arab Muslim man neither Georgia and Georgians, nor Christ and Christianity were not the meanings given or accepted or even subject of love. These two feelings are awakening in him simultaneously. Although love of Christ prevails among these feelings, it remains non-separate from the Georgians and Georgia. As the Georgians become for Abo the guides on the path to Christ. In Georgia - Kartli, Abkhazia - and among the Georgians Abo is getting formed as a Christian, and then as Christian hero and martyr. But the Georgians and their country do not only perform the facilitation function. By the view of Sabanisdze they also posses their own dignity. Although Sabanisdze himself characterizes Kartli region and its people under the yoke of Arab conquerors in serious material and spiritual status, but still they do not lose the strength and grace of the appeal, so that they can play the mediator role between Christ and the one who secretly, subconsciously is looking for Christ. Or even through his own example, through his love of Christ to awaken in someone a desire to seek and find Christ. Despite of deferred and current troubles, Georgia is still the "Mother of the Saints," the country that is similar to the promised land, where the Lord, same as He did to Abraham, calls Abo to accomplish his transfiguration here, his transformation into a Christian. Here the Christian life and the ministry is going, here the experts and teachers of faith are living, here Christian books are reading and what is most important here the Christian people are living which are characterized as the "abundance of Reverence," people who by "patience of troubles do not step aside from the only begotten Son of God." Like it is at the end of the story when Abo’s bones which are burned down and thrown into the Mtkvari river are glowing light from the bottom of the river, so is Kartli absorbed and immersed by the wave of Arab expansion, yet is lighting with the Christian spirit, mind and life. The carriers of this light, this radiation were the Georgians which Abo met and come along in Baghdad. And under the influence of which he desired to go to Georgia, so he forever left behind not only his homeland but also parents and relatives.

Sabanisdze writes that heavenly call brought Abo to Georgia. But this call in no case could be like an obsession, an enslaving desire, for God does not act like this. And Abo’s soul undoubtedly should have responded to this heavenly call, there must have been some kind of gravity that would be consistent with the inspiration from above. This inspiration came from the Georgian Christians. Such pure, sublime personality, what appears to us Abo could not be attracted by anything earthly, though would have a positive feature, neither noble birth, nor wealth, nor power, nor the courage, or the like. Moreover, that the Georgians – erismtavari (prince) Nerse and his entourage – during the first introduction were in poor state as the prisoners accused by the higher authorities. Abo was to be attracted in Georgians by their spirituality, coming of Christ - their faith, their high morals, their highly spiritual state of mind. Of the persons with whom Abo converged in Baghdad we only know erismtavari Nerse. We can assume that in his entourage were clerics, and other high-spiritual people. But it is enough to name erismtavari himself. From the Life of Grigol Khandzteli where we almost without doubt are dealing with the same Nerse, we can see how pious and a lover of pious men was this man, and by the way his wife as well. If we take into account that there were two of the greatest sons of the Georgian Church brought up in his court - Abo and Grigol Khandzteli – then we can call him father and the teacher of the Saints. It can be stated that erismtavari Nerse himself was one of the bright carriers of the mysterious light that was kept in the bowels of the "Mother of the Saints" - Georgia. After arriving in Kartli Abo gets acquainted with other Christians as well. Among them is the Catholicos Samoel who is also seen as highly spiritual person, the first one to see in Abo’s feat the great national religious phenomenon. He also got acquainted with the prince of Abkhaz and many others, and finally with keen thinker, talented writer and the seer Iovane Sabanisdze whom Abo loved “with much blissful love of Christ”. All of them undoubtedly have contributed to bringing Abo close to the Georgian people and merging them together, so when the time came of Abo’s courage and self-sacrifice, he shed his blood not only for Christ, but for the faithful people of Georgia, which he had learned and fell in love along with Christ. Through this Sabanisdze shows how important it is that the son of the Church not only lived in the grace and holiness of the Church, but that he himself was a vessel and the container of this grace and holiness.

That title - "Mother of the Saints," which Sabanisdze names the Georgian Church is accompanied by a very important addition and extension - the "Mother of the Saints, as some of the local residents, and some strange and alien from the outside." If the nation remains faithful to its Christian vocation, if in the troubles which come to it from time to time, even with sore defeats and losses, it would stay in not turn away from Christ, will not step off the path of its Christian predecessors, of "paternal walking", then Christ will not leave such people. He will not only bring new and new heroes from his own bowels, but also from other nations and countries will bring those who would become his true and dedicated son. And by his example would help to refine and strengthen the patriotic feeling of the Georgians.

According to the teachings of Sabanisdze Abo is the very visible demonstration and example of Christ's constant concern for His people. It is Christ Who leads Abo to Georgia, where he was penetrated by faith and love of Christ. Then to Khazaria, where Abo decided to be baptized, and then to Abkhazia, free and spiritually prosperous Georgian region, where Abo goes from strength to strength,⁵ and where on the high step of spiritual perfection, the desire for self-sacrifice of Christ awakens in him, due to what he returns again to returned to Kartli region, which was oppressed by the Arabs. Although, he returns as an explicit but not a secret Christian who is ready to sacrifice his life for Christ, and not only for Christ, but also confessed Christ and tortured for Christ people, for the sake of the people whom Abo learned and got to love, and part of which he has become.

Archpriest Josef Zeteishvili