As we spent the whole lecture addressing the history and the theology of the Orthodox tradition, there was some fascinating portions about this specific Christian tradition. The portion that stuck out most to me was the number of orthodox believers there are worldwide. Apparently, there are well over a hundred million orthodox Christians outside the US. For instance, I believe our professor stated that there are approximately 125 million Russian orthodox Christians. Yet less than 7% go to church on a monthly basis. Over and over, the professor talked about how Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia, etc. had millions of individuals who claim to be orthodox Christians (some countries 80-90% claimed to be Christian), but none of these areas had a high percentage of church attendance (always between 2-5%). In other words, virtually none of them are experiencing a vibrant relationship with God (I think I can say this with authority since they aren't partaking or participating in the sacraments).
What does this say about the state of the Church? Apparently, Americans are not the only ones who think the Church is not a vital aspect for one's spirituality. Or maybe it would be more correct to state that Americans are simply riding in the wake of what is already prevalent in the east.
I have to say that I am pretty dissatisfied and saddened with nominal Christianity. I guess I struggle with how this is acceptable. Where in scripture do we see discipleship as an option? Jesus seems to make it clear that the cost to follow him is high. Yet discipleship seems to be optional, not only amongst Americans, but from other orthodox Christians worldwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment