Evangelism and the Orthodox Church

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20a)

     This commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ, given to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into heaven, is known by some as the "Great Commission." It serves as the basis for evangelism today as it has served the Church since the Day of Pentecost. Insofar as I am representative of my brother clergy in the Orthodox Church, it is something with which I wrestle from time to time. It is a rare gathering of priests for a clergy conference or retreat which does not produce at least some brief discussion, among those clergymen who are converts to the Orthodox Church and Faith, usually from one of the Protestant churches, about how we could be more effective in sharing the Good News - which is to say, "doing evangelism" - on behalf of the Church in which we serve, and very much that others would also embrace. Notably absent from such conversations, with a few exceptions, are those among the "cradle" clergy. Their answer is inarguably correct: "Pray, do the services, and leave the evangelism to God." I can't argue with that logic, but, all the same, it makes me feel uneasy. It can't be that simple - can it? A hint of "things to come": much of what I am thinking about now, and so expressing here, comes after reflecting upon the life and ministry of the holy prophet Zephaniah, commemorated by the Church on the 3rd day of December (new style; 16 November old style). 

     If I had to guess, I'd say that most of us, when we hear the word, "evangelism," think of people going door-to-door to tell people about Jesus Christ. Does that really happen anymore, apart from groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Latter-Day Saints? I'm sure that, somewhere, there are Christians participating in this type of activity, although they've never come to my door, unlike the aforementioned groups. It was popular for a time to discuss approaches such as "Evangelism Explosion" (I still have the book on my bookshelf), "Lifestyle Evangelism," and even the use of, at the time, "advanced" technology to reach out effectively into the community. Once upon a time, a congregation (not in the Orthodox Church) which I was assigned to pastor used an auto dialer with a recorded message asking two simple questions with the recipient of the call to enter a tone from their telephone in response. We even filled our worship area with those who were interested enough to come and see what we were up to, and two families joined as a result. Did I mention that the equipment cost $1100? I'm not sure two families were enough to justify the expense to the diocese. When we were finished our campaign, we passed the equipment along to another congregation. I don't know whether they had any success. But in the end, using the telephone as telemarketers was really nothing more than going door-to-door anonymously.

    Christianity is not alone in possessing the concept of proselytization. Although it is not mainstream among Muslims, the last few decades have seen an increased number of Christians who convert to Islam, with many responding to techniques which are sometimes similar to those utilized by Christians. One of these is the use of the internet to answer basic questions about what Muslims believe and how they put their beliefs into practice, as well as to provide basic instruction about how to become a Muslim. A powerful element could be described as an Islamic version of "lifestyle evangelism." It can have a powerful impact when a Christian whose life is more immersed in the ways of western culture than in a life of discipleship observes the fervor evident when visiting a mosque, or when invited to a Muslim home. (Indeed, the same is true when a nominal Christian visits a "seeker's service" at an LDS center, or learns of the practices of a devout LDS family, and especially of their concentration on the family.) The Christian who has never experienced or been taught will often think or say, "That's the way it should be!" They aren't wrong. However, they are misinformed as to the true and deep meaning of Christianity and have not been given a proper example. Orthodox Christians are not exempt. Where we have not been diligent in teaching and demonstrating the Orthodox way of life, or if Orthodoxy is more of an aspect of our (larger) culture than the life-transforming faith it is meant to be, we can be left feeling as vacant and hungry for more as any other Christian might be, and so become drawn to embrace a different religion.

    Apart from these two of the three world monotheistic religions, there isn't much evangelism taking place. Buddhists and Hindus may, to cite two examples among many, invite those who are curious to learn more, and those who act on this invitation may come to follow these teachings, as opposed to those of Christ and His Church. Most striking (to me) in reflecting on the question of evangelism concerns the third of the Abrahamic traditions, the one to which Christianity is most closely related: Judaism. There is no evangelistic "mission" in Judaism - at least, not in any form which remotely resembles that of Protestant Christianity. Yes, there are converts to Judaism - for example, the Roman official who is named as a friend of the Jews, having contributed to their synagogue; but Judaism does not have a "Great Commission," and so, by and large, lacks a missionary perspective which arises from the same. Judaism is determined by descent from Abraham: if you are his descendant, you are Jewish. Practicing the teachings and precepts of Judaism does not transform the non-descendent into a Jew, even if he is circumcised, and failure to practice the "essentials" of Judaism does not make a descendent a non-Jew. (By the way, when you hear of the "land of Israel" or the "people of Israel," don't hear it as being a reference to a specific geographical location, such as the "nation of Israel" as a citation of a political jurisdiction in the Middle East. The people making up the nation are the children of Israel, in the house (that is, "household") of Israel: that is, the man Israel, who was given the name "Jacob" at his birth, the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham, father of the twelve tribes of Israel, heir to the first covenant, ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ.)

     Enter the prophet Zephaniah. He was the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah, a righteous King of Judah, whose efforts to guide the people of Israel in accordance with the ways of the covenant were reversed by his son, Manasseh, whose wickedness was unparalleled among the descendants of King David. (Among other things, Manasseh is "credited" with ordering the death of the prophet Isaiah.) Zephaniah prophesied in Jerusalem and was a contemporary of Jeremiah the prophet, as well as of Nahum, and perhaps Habbakuk, as well. His ministry could be summed up by saying that he declared to the people of Israel the coming judgment of God upon those who had departed from the way of holiness and lived according to the ways of the world, rather than according to the requirements of the covenant with God. Those who repented and took up once more the way of holiness would be spared, and in this would find the Lord's salvation. Those who did not repent would be destroyed.

      Zephaniah's prophetic message is consistent with all of the prophets who spoke on God's behalf, whether counted among the major prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, or among the minor prophets, including Zephaniah. All of these prophets were sent to urge the people of Israel to repent of their departure from the covenant with God. Here's an interesting note: none of them were sent to any of the nations or peoples in whose midst the people of Israel lived. God did not send a prophet to Pharaoh in Egypt after Moses led His people from that land into the land of Canaan. God did not send a prophet to the king of Assyria, or to the King of Babylon, or to any other ruler. The prophets spoke to Israel, and only to Israel. But why might that be of any importance to evangelism in the Orthodox Church?

     The answer is found in the first Covenant. Summing it up as best I can, God has promised that He will be the God of Israel (through Abraham), protecting them and providing for them for as long as they walk in the way of holiness and righteousness. The history of the people of Israel shows that when they chose to live in a manner pleasing to God, they were blessed with peace and prosperity; but when they departed from doing so, their blessings were taken away, and at times they became the captives of the pagan kingdoms around them; most notably being conquered by Assyria and then Babylon.

     Digging deeper, the sending of the prophets to speak only to Israel suggests that a part of God's purpose in establishing a covenant with Israel was to place in the midst of the pagans, amid those dwelling in darkness and in the shadow of death a light to guide others to a holy way of living. The Jews were meant to be missionaries, not by knocking on doors, but by turning away from the ways of the world to follow instead the precepts of the kingdom of heaven. The Ten Commandments were, and are, instrumental in guiding God's people. In the midst of the multitude of idols worshipped as gods, His people were to declare and to worship the one true God. They were to show to others the mercy God showed to them in setting them free from slavery in Egypt. They were to lie together in peace, respecting the persons and property of others. In all these things (and more), they were to be an example of the life pleasing to God, and, in this way to draw all those of the other nations and peoples to emulate the same, and so entering into the covenant by the faith and virtues coming through the people of God.

     Christians are also people of the covenant, and especially of the New Covenant in Christ. The guiding principle is stated by our Lord Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 22:37-40: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. Everything in the Law and in the prophets depends on these two commandments. Sometimes we say that Christians are the new Israel. As such, we are heirs of the promise, and we are also inheritors of the obligation to do our part in keeping the covenant, living as lights to a world where many people are still held captive. They are held captive by their passions. They are held captive by those who use and oppress them for their own purposes. (In this, their captors also need to be set free, and the way of the covenant is there for them every bit as much as it is for any of us.) They are held captive by false teachings. They are held captive by ignorance of holiness and righteousness, and their ignorance of the love of God, and the mercy and grace which flow from that love. If we do not tell them, how will they know? If we do not show them, how will they follow?

     Whether we like it or not, we have the Great Commission entrusted to us. We, therefore, cannot be silent; we must tell of the things God has done for us, and, above all, what has been done for us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we are to be evangelists, even knocking on doors, if we must. But the message of the Good News will be far more powerful if we are living according to what we say we believe. As so many who were touched by our Lord in the time of His ministry among us in the flesh, even when told to be silent, we must speak. But, as the saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." If we say we are Christians, let us live as Christians: humble, gentle of heart, forgiving, generous, loving, and doing all in our power to turn away from the world and do what is pleasing to God. As Israel of old was set in the midst of pagans and idolaters to show them there is a better, higher, way of living, we, the new Israel, must do the same. When this happens, when our words are consistent with our belief in Christ in action, then we will be true evangelists.