“Just focus on your studies…Work hard and you’ll attain the American Dream…School comes first…Go get em’, Tiger…You could be president one day…I’m proud of your grades…Follow your dreams…Congratulations on your graduation…Just keep your nose to the grindstone…It’s okay if you didn’t make it to Church, I’m glad that you’re working hard…I’m so proud of your accomplishments...Have you been to Church recently?...That's okay, I know you need to study and work those extra hours...Just let my grandchildren receive an Orthodox baptism…Can I take the kids to church this weekend?……Have you been going to Church? … That’s okay, I’m proud that you’re successful…Please, just give me an Orthodox funeral when I go, even though you don’t think that it’s important…”
These are the sorts of words – in chronological order – that
countless Orthodox parents and grandparents have uttered in the U.S. We are so adamant about instilling a work ethic and a value for education, but are we teaching prayer and reinforcing spiritual things?
So very many of our ancestors came to America for a better economic life. It seems that most of the Russians that came to America before the revolution came specifically to take advantage of the growing U.S. economy. In their day, there were still positive conditions conducive to Church life that Orthodox communities enjoyed. We no longer seem to have these conditions. They are a rarity, and occur in very few places. The Orthodox “ghettos” of the past possessed a certain cohesiveness that would be lost in the 1960s and later. Members of the community had a sense of identity and shared a common faith with people in their everyday life. The ethnic neighborhoods and parishes of old offered a lifestyle that was similar to what has been normative for most human beings over human history: people had cohesive, supportive communities. Things were never perfect, but one could make the argument that they were better in more ways than they were worse compared to what we have today. What was lacking back then was a lot of the missionary focus that seems to be the main discussion topic in recent history.
The Russian Empire was not as backward as some have portrayed it – and continue to portray it into our present day. The sciences and technology were developing, and contrary to what we were taught in history class, Russia was on its way to developing an economy that would have rivaled that of the U.S. and Britain. Then the first World War and the deluge that followed ended any possibility of that happening.
It is true that some immigrants came to this country from Eastern Europe for political reasons; though many of that demographic were not faithful Orthodox Christians. It is doubtful that many of their descendants are active in Church life today. But for many immigrants, the choice to leave Russia for America had to do with opportunity.
The spirit of achievement was high among the Metropolia people. They wanted to take full advantage of the opportunities provided for them. Their work ethic was so typical of the diverse immigrants that came to the US to work in various industries. Perhaps the chief reason why that particular group of people immigrated was their tenacity and work ethic. Others with less of those qualities likely would not have made the journey "across the pond." The economic conditions of the US at that time were a major draw. Industries needed to drastically increase the number of employees, and the jobs offered - while often difficult, dirty, and dangerous - offered higher wages than what was normative in the regions of immigration from the old country.
While hard work is a positive value, and laziness is sinful, there was/is a negative side to working hard for the American Dream. Many immigrants instilled stellar work ethics in their children. This became a chief aim during child rearing. However, something seems to have gone wrong. Many children and grandchildren of immigrants retain the work ethic (so they are not lazy) and even retain elements of the culture and historical memory...but they lose the Orthodox Faith.
Are we instilling the Orthodox Faith in our young people as much as the value of hard work? There is a trend that I have noticed among immigrant families from the Orthodox world. Allow me to define what I mean by "immigrant families" in this article: people who immigrated to the US since 1900. The descendants of these immigrants seem to be doing financially better than other groups. They are more affluent. This could be considered anecdotal, and I would like to see labor data if there is any to back this up.
When I look at urban areas in the US, people with ancestry in Orthodox countries seem to always be near the top, despite the fact that they are a minority, and have not had as much time to establish themselves as White Protestant Anglo Saxons. This is a good thing, and I am not insinuating that it is a problem! However, my point is that often we find that these same people are at various stages of detachment from the Orthodox Church. They have "can do" attitudes yet seem unable to maintain an Orthodox ethos. They can successfully run a business, yet they cannot plan to attend Liturgy twice in one month. They participate in cultural activities while maintaining careers, but cannot seem to find find the time to go to Presanctified at least once during the Great Fast. They amass fortunes, but ancestral parishes are left uncared for.
My lamentations, though, are not the totality of this article. We should admit the problem, and then go about solving it!
The views expressed on this blog are my own and are not necessarily official positions held by the OCA. This blog is not intended to be an introduction to Orthodoxy or a catechesis, nor is it a place for intense theological debate and discussion. If you are an inquirer, please see links to helpful resources near the end of the first article: https://asonofthemetropolia.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-first-post-or-introduction-to-son-of.html
The primary purpose of this blog is to discuss Church life. If there is a topic or question that you have, feel free to contact.
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