When the Homily is about Immunology

Orthodox Community and the influence of American Culture

I really enjoyed what Karl had to say here in regards to Orthodox community. I think he and his father-in-law have hit the nail on the proverbial head in the sense that American culture has too much influenced orthopraxis here. Consider, what role the world's religions have played in developing their respective neighboring cultures (and I suppose vice versa in many cases)? We here in the US are in the presence of a culture predominantly formed by a relatively narrow variety of protestant theologies and values - and we have grown from this into a world in which it is ill-advised to talk to our neighbors about little more than lawn care because of our ever-present quest for "celebrating diversity." (read: ignoring differences and contradictory opinions for a photo-op.)

But Orthodoxy is a religion which until relatively recent times existed in its own cradle-culture sharing the same situation that we have seen here where religion shapes its culture and I think vice-versa - though to what extent is not entirely clear since we see Orthodoxy existing for quite a long time in a variety of cultures and still maintaining a great deal of theological and liturgical continuity. I suppose those differences which do exist can be attributed to culture. I'm on a tangent here...."stay on target."

We Orthodox converts frequently find ourselves in conflict with our American culture, which as I said developed with absolutely no influence from the Church of the East. A case and point is Thanksgiving Day falling in the midst of a period of religious fasting for the Orthodox. Or a relative of mine, who isn't even a christian, having a hard time understanding why I spent so much time at my Parish instead of with them when Holy Week and Pascha happened to coincide with western Easter. Sometimes it is a struggle to balance things - thank God we calculate Pascha differently (a gift given by God in anticipation of us western converts? hehehe)

And it seems - as I read and experience more - that there really is a different understanding of community as perceived through Orthodox theology and I am still trying to figure it all out. I wonder if a role may be found in the lack of diversity in traditionally Orthodox countries where one would expect to see everyone's neighbors regularly at Matins, Vespers, and Liturgy. During fasts and feasts everyone you met on the streets would likely be participating and it would not be viewed as strange to greet the cashier at the local market during Christmas with: "Christ is Born!" and they would respond :"Glorify Him!" (or some variation thereof). And that pilgrimiges to Monateries or the shrines of wonder-working relics would be encouraged, perceived as admirable and not at all crazy.

The Faith was/is more than a personal affair...it was/is a community affair and it encompassed and indeed should encompass daily life.

My wife and I are grieved over the fact that we live so far from our Parish and have anxiously sought to find affordable housing closer, but alas our fiscal situation simply will not allow it. We really feel a need to participate more fully in Orthodox community....how nice it would be to even occassionally meet a fellow Orthodox Christian on the street and be able to greet one another with an appropriate seasonal greeting...bringing the liturgical life into the streets! I am certainly grateful that I have a coworker who also is a convert and we are able to share the burden of a fast while surrounded by all manner of pre-Christmas goodies.

One more note: a very definitive sign of too much American influence on Orthodox churches can be summed up with one word - pews.

Okay, enough rambling...Karl's post really got me thinking...obviously.