What Does an Orthodox Christian Look Like?

What Does an Orthodox Christian Look Like? May 16, 2011

This week’s podcast was recorded live at the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver’s Clergy-Laity Conference, hosted by St George Greek Orthodox Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico – May 13, 2011.

So there I was, a few years back, standing in the food line at the Houston Greek Festival, minding my own business, when the guy in front of me — a man with long white bushy sideburns, green John Deere cap, with his name on his work shirt — turns to me and says:

You a priest or something?

Y’all …

I am, of course, dressed as a priest and, sinner that I am, my first impulse was to say:

Yup! You a farmer or something?

“Yes,” I said.

He glanced at my family behind me, then back at me.

I said, “Oh! Yes, well, Orthodox priests can marry and have families.”

“Hooray for the Orthodox!” he said.

He related that, although he was a lifelong Houstonian, it was his first time at a Greek Festival – and he’d never been inside an Orthodox church.

He then said, “You Greek?”

“No,” I said, “I’m a CON-vert.”

(Silly of me. He obviously had no idea what I was talking about! I mean, what? I converted to … Greek?)

“Well,” he said, “You look Greek! At least, I think you do!”

He looked behind me and said, “Your whole family looks Greek.”

Continuing to speak like a silly man, I said: “Nah, we’re from North Carolina.”

I realized, even as I was speaking, that this fellow was talking about culture and ethnicity and I was rattling on about something completely different!

My new found friend in the food line at the Greek Festival then said …

The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio!

PS – I was tempted to title this: Orthodoxy in “John Deere Greek”.

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