They are not Jewish, but they are Orthodox. They are not Roman, but still identify as Catholic. They are not Denominational, but they are Pre-Denominational. Who am I talking about? I’m talking about the Orthodox Church, one of the oldest forms of Christianity still in existence today. You may have heard of Eastern Orthodoxy, Russian Orthodoxy, maybe even Antiochian Orthodoxy. Don’t be mistaken. Although the titles are different, they are all the same. They are one church.
Hold on. Before I go any further, I have a feeling as if you are scratching your head right now. You are probably wondering how that can be. How can they be the same if they have different names? The specifics in the titles mainly help to determine the spoken language, which bishops, and what ethnic ties are held with that particular church. Now there may be some traditions that each group has, but the fact of the matter remains that they all fall under one church.
Now you are probably wondering what got me interested in exploring Orthodoxy, right? I am a Roman Catholic and I have been since middle school. Even though I am strong in my faith, I am still very curious about the other forms of worship. I even went to attend worship services at a mosque, a synagogue, and even a Buddhist Temple. When it comes to Orthodoxy, it was something that was always around, but something I never really took the time to explore. However, my interest in Orthodoxy piqued after watching “Doctor Zhivago.” I remember that while I was watching it, I observed and was fascinated by the funeral scene. I noticed seeing the cross in a form I’ve never seen before as well as some other rituals that seemed familiar, but different.
After watching “Doctor Zhivago,” I started to do some research, but I kept my distance. I ended up deciding to attend Vespers at the urging of my girlfriend. I’m glad that I went. I had no idea about what I was going to experience and to be honest, I was a bit nervous, but I was still curious. From the moment I stepped into the church, everything felt familiar, but was different. The icons, the candles, the scents, the chants, it all spoke to something inside me. I was experiencing all of this for the first time and for some reason, it all felt natural. It felt right. I felt like I was transported to a completely different place and all my worries dissipated. I was fascinated by it all. It was very refreshing and awe-inspiring to experience the grandfather to many modern forms of today’s Christianity.
I strongly encourage you to do some exploration, even if it’s within Christianity. You never know what you are going to find. Be open-minded. Do some comparisons. Most importantly, be willing to ask questions. The best way to learn is to actually go out of your own way and experience it for yourself! You may surprise yourself in the process.
