In episode 11, I interview Nora Kowalchek, who is known in online Orthodox circles as “Mother of Five.” She’s just a normal person doing normal things like working, being a wife and a mom, and owning a home, but she is also ardently committed to rearing her children in the practices and faith of Orthodox Christianity. This is a very abnormal thing to do in our intensely worldly society, where nearly everything is pitted against children to mature into godly men and women. It takes much dedication, time, prayer, and selflessness to remain committed to raising the Church’s next generation of laity and leaders, hence, Kowalchek’s motivation to resist the covid rules set forth by the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
She sees these jurisdictional directives as both detrimental to the salvation of her son and daughters and to the future of the Church as a whole. So Kowalcheck decided to voice her heartfelt opposition to the regulations implemented by the OCA bishops, not because she wants to be a rebel to authority, but because she knows she must take a stand for what is right – to defend the even higher authority of truth.
If you’re not Orthodox, don’t be scared. Kowalchek answers a few “Orthodoxy 101” questions, which may be of interest to you as far as intellectual inquiry goes. Plus, the greater theme of our discussion taps into to the battles happening in American Christianity and the greater society as a whole: faith vs. man, self-determination vs. collectivism, corporate gathering vs. radical individualism, freedom vs. fictional safety, the “Great Unreason” (as Jack Kerwick calls it) vs. true reason.
Speaking of that, here’s Kowalchek’s essay, “The Loss of a Generation,” that struck a chord with many other Christian parents who share her concerns, including Archbishop Alexander’s wording from his March 10 statement: “This is not a season of trial in which to test one’s piety through unreasonable faith.” Interestingly, I cannot find the Archbishop’s original statement on the OCA website or pretty much anywhere on the Internet, other than the full text posted on the St. Athanasius Orthodox Church’s Facebook page.
Also of note is this Father Peter Heers‘ interview with Archimandrite Savas Agioreitis. Kowalcheck shared it with me today because the two discuss “the holiness of the Temple and Holy Things,” and why Christians should defend the Holy Canons and how they instruct us to kiss icons, participate fully in communal worship, and receive the Eucharist.
Kowalchek mentioned St. Mark of Ephesus as one historic example of a Christian who challenged bishops when they strayed. Although he was a devout monk, we lay people can still look to his dogmatic, polemic theology as a guide of how we too can be “the conscience” of the hierarchs.
Be sure to check out Kowalchek’s blog Jacob’s Story, which is about her experiences having lost a child. She says writing about her son’s death helps her to find her way “through the fog … in spite of grief.” It’s a beautiful site, filled with trials and triumphs, heartache and happiness, and compassion and kindness. It will surely speak to you if you’ve lost a son or daughter, or know someone who has.
Source: Dissident Mama – Dissident Mama, episode 11 – Nora Kowalchek