Cultural Faith

You have read many times in this blog, and you have heard me say even more times in Bible Studies and sermons, that Orthodox Christianity is a lived experience. It is much more than just a system of beliefs. Orthodox Christianity is a life lived according to those beliefs, like today.

For Greeks throughout the world, today is OXI Day, the day when Greeks commemorate their defiance against the Axis Powers of World War II. It is also a day that Greek Orthodox faithful throughout the world celebrated the Protection of the All-Holy Virgin Mary.

The rest of the Orthodox Christian world celebrates the Feast of the Protection on October 1^st. The feast commemorates a 10^th century historical event when the people of Constantinople witnessed a vision of the All-Holy Virgin Mary protecting all Christians. That changed in the 50’s.

After World War II, the feast was ‘moved’ to coincide with the commemoration of OXI Day. For Greeks of those days, it was unheard of to separate their faith from the daily life, as it should be for all Christians. As the Panagia protected Constantinople ‘back then’ she protected Greece.

The Church calendar is filled with examples of ‘living’ faith history. The Akathist Hymn normally during Great Lent commemorates a historical event as well. I refer to these ‘links’ as cultural faith because they differ from place to place, culture to culture.

Why mention it today? There is a ‘dangerous’ trend in the Church to separate culture from the faith, as if Orthodoxy is ONLY a system of beliefs. This would limit God’s grace to the human brain rather than life. Greece, Russia, America, and even Africa are examples of living faith.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ spreads among people’s lives, not among books. Churches are built for living people to gather in worship to God and to physically commune with Him. If faith was ‘just’ belief, then we wouldn’t need Holy Communion. Holy Communion is a lived experience.

As the Gospel spreads and parishes are established, two things happen. Every community receives the faith from a living cultural experience and then develops its own lived experience and culture. Some cultural elements are kept. Other new elements are established.

When it comes to Orthodox Christianity, culture isn’t bad. Culture is evidence that the faith is lived among real people. Some cultural elements, like the Feast of the Protection of the All-Holy Virgin Mary become universally celebrated. Others remain local. Both are needed for faith.

Take a moment today and ask yourself how you put your faith into practice. This is your culture. It may be Greek. It may be Romanian. It may even be American. If it reflects the true beliefs of the Church, in living experience, it is good.

If your practices do not reflect your Orthodox Christian faith, then consider what you can change to align your culture to your faith. Your faith will only survive in lived experience.