Chrysostom Academy has started our fourth year, and we are already one week in. As we come back to the classroom, both teachers and students are learning how to once again work together and build momentum for the coming semester. This process can be difficult as well as frustrating for both students and teachers, as often, rules are imposed and then quickly broken, especially in the first weeks. This can leave teachers feeling as if they are little more than rule enforcers, while students are often left hurt or wondering what they did wrong. In effect, students often feel judged, and teachers themselves feel more like police officers than teachers. This is nothing new, but it does highlight an interesting phenomenon found around the world today.
There are several robust statistics that Christians are leaving and “deconstructing” their faith. A 2024 Barna Group study shows that 42% of American adults have either partially or completely “deconstructed the faith of their youth.” The reasons for this are varied and often multifaceted, yet one of the main reasons people cite when asked why they leave the faith is that they feel judged. Many different groups of Christians today present lists of rules to follow, with people in authority telling one what you can and cannot do. If someone makes a mistake, they feel instantly judged rather than loved and understood. This has led to an astronomical increase in those who identify as religious but are themselves outside a formal faith tradition.
This phenomenon is also found in our beloved Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy is sometimes presented as a list of boxes to check off. “Fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, go to Liturgy, pray one’s prayer rule, etc., check, check, check.
Yet, we are forced to ask ourselves, “is this the correct way we should be interpreting the rules the Church sets out for us?” The answer is obviously no. The rules are not the end in themselves, but are set up for us to learn and grow into a closer relationship with God. We fast, go to Liturgy, and pray to love God, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to practice our faith with humility and piety. The same holds true for the rules set up in school. Rules help schools keep the peace and establish the procedures for the community, but they are not the ultimate goal of a healthy Academy. Students and teachers freely follow rules so that they can grow and learn together, just as the Christians embrace the rules of the Church as a means, not an end, to a relationship with Christ.
This reality can sometimes be lost, especially when students seem intent on pushing back against rules. Yet, as the school year progresses and everyone becomes used to the routine, the true purpose of school rises to the forefront, just as the true reason we submit to the authority of the Church isn’t to follow a list of rules, but to grow in relationship with Christ. As we begin this academic year, I pray you will keep these thoughts in the forefront of your mind.
As always, in the final word of St. John Chrysostom, Glory to God for All Things!
John W. Heitzenrater, II A.B., M.H.M.
Headmaster
jheitzenrater@chrysostomacademy.org
610-427-2758