A layperson’s perspective

The Great Pause. The Great Lie.  The Great Resignation.  

These phrases churn out like coffee after a 2-hour Liturgy.  Here’s a new phrase I’m adding to the mix, The Great Reevaluation.  

What is the Great Reevaluation?

The Great Reevaluation is the idea that everything – the economy, education, work, family life, faith—has been turned on its head during the pandemic, and that disruption has caused most of us to reevaluate what’s important in our lives. This rethinking started big with questions: Do I need to wear a mask to show others I care about them? Should I be visiting my elderly parents? How will I work while my child is at home in Zoom school? Is it unsafe to attend church during the pandemic?

Then, as we evolved through the pandemic, deep spiritual issues surfaced forcing many faithful to reevaluate the ideas of worship, fear and faith.   

What is the true church and how does it respond in times of crisis? 

These two questions have stirred people for centuries. In 2020, many thought they were in the true church, and then their church shut down.  For some, that didn’t add up. The church was to be a fortress in times of trouble.  In Matthew 16, Jesus tells Peter, “Behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.”  Then, in 2021, with fear gripping many congregations, churches were still closed or barely open with restricted numbers.  Those turning back in their old testaments recalled the book of Joshua where the Lord says, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9).  Or, in Matthew, where Christ commands, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body.” (Matt 10:28).  The church wasn’t supposed to be a place of fear and anxiety.  Weren’t the churches supposed to be full during times of mourning and crisis, people asked.

How did the churches get to this place of crisis?

In 2020, the pandemic forced a distinct reduction in the number of Christians who could access worship services. A March 2021 Pew Research article stated that “half of U.S. Christian churchgoers said their congregations should be enforcing social distancing and mask-wearing.”  Combine this group opinion with the fact that most cities and states placed restrictions on the number of people who could gather in closed spaces and you have smaller congregations worshiping on Sundays. Some churches shut their doors for several months.  Restricting capacity, limiting singing and closing altogether were desired by at least 28% of church goers, according to the study.  As a result of these austere measures, some Christians found it difficult to find a church where they could (1) worship in person, and (2) be around others who weren’t deeply terrified.  For a lot of people, the need to be in church outweighed the fear they had of the virus, but they were shut out by their own houses of worship. 

Even after the lockdowns were partially lifted beginning in the summer of 2020, many churches still severely limited their congregants.  A relative in a nearby town reported just in October 2021 that her mainline protestant church was still greatly reduced in numbers. 

“The congregations around here have been decimated,” she told us.  

Another close family member said she’d changed churches 3 times since the pandemic began. “I just wanted a church that would still let me in if I showed up without phoning ahead,” she said.  Tears formed in her eyes as she told me about a pastor who met her at the door of the church with a clipboard asking if her name was on the list. “That was the day I forgot to reserve a space,” she told me. “They let me in, but I had to stand in the back and the pastor made an example of me during the sermon.” Like a leper, she was pushed out to the edge because she didn’t comply with the lockdown rules. 

Stories like this have Christians reevaluating and asking if churches should have been turning people away at a time when the faithful most needed to be inside praying and repenting.  

What about the Orthodox Church?

People are coming to Orthodoxy looking for the True Church.  Right now, our church is packed!  We have new catechumens and more on the way.  Although some Orthodox churches were forced to close, many remained open during the pandemic and inquirers were able to talk to a priest about their questions.  I asked a couple of new converts in our church about their experience coming to Orthodoxy during the pandemic. One young man said he had been studying Orthodoxy since 2017, but the pandemic and lockdowns gave him the “head space to meditate hard” on the teachings of the historical church.  Another young man said, “the pandemic surely accelerated the timeline since I felt a severe wrongness in being so willing to give up in-person church participation and community.” 

Another friend told me her story: “I was sitting on my porch drinking coffee one Sunday during the summer of 2020. My church was locked down to just a handful of worshipers.  Sitting there, I realized that attending church was becoming a source of responsibility to me.  It didn’t represent peace and healing anymore.  It represented work and negotiations.  So, I decided to go to a different church that was open.  After looking online, I found an Orthodox church about an hour away. I drove there, walked in and it felt like 2018. Church was joyful again.”

Young men, especially, seem to be grappling with the ideas of authenticity, consistency, and stability in their Christian faith. This struggle has brought a dozen young men into our own church in the last year.  Some are from Christian faith traditions; others claim no previous faith background at all.  From my observation, these young seekers walk inside the church to stand in awe at the beauty and joy of the age-old services.  Then, as catechumens, they vigorously study the scriptures and the church fathers desiring to know the Truth of a living God. They are zealous attenders and highly engaged in the services. They also are hungry for classes, books and online information on the Orthodox faith. Everyone of them is thankful for a place to worship that is open and unrestricted. 

The March 2021 Pew Study made this assessment: “People who were highly religious to begin with, before the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., are also the most likely to say their faith has grown because of the pandemic.”  I believe this assessment has borne out in our Orthodox churches as people have struggled through the spiritual questions of the Great Reevaluation.  When people began questioning the foundations of their faith and questioning how their church’s leadership addressed the crisis of fear and government shutdowns, they discovered that the Orthodox Church, in many cases, was open and welcoming.  When they came inside the church, they found a place of healing, beauty and peace. And, once they started attending, their faith in Jesus Christ and His church grew as they studied the scriptures, the services and the church fathers. 

The Great Reevaluation may not be a trendy phrase, but I think it accurately identifies the struggle that has brought many people into the Orthodox church these last 18 months.  As you get to know these new catechumens and converts, perhaps you will discover the same is happening in your area. 

I pray the Lord will continue to send seekers to Orthodoxy who are looking for Jesus and the True faith and that we will continue to welcome them whole heartedly.