An Orthodox Teen’s Perspective on COVID

by BEATRICE OLDEROG

I am glad the pandemic happened. That may seem like an unbelievable statement, but I mean it. Due to COVID, I became closer to God and Jesus. I know that many others have also come closer to God and Jesus or become Christian during the pandemic. When I first had the idea of becoming closer to my faith, I realized that I had never picked up a Bible on my own and read it. So, I bought one. I started studying it, and soon I got a study Bible to dive deeper into texts that I had not read before. Now I read my Bible every day, and I pray every night before bed.

COVID left people with a lot of time on their hands, giving them a chance to think about their faith and the world around them. In that time, many were able to bring God into their lives. Many were scared when we all had to stay home for safety, and God helped them by comforting them, so they grew closer to God. Many have now strengthened their faith and have learned to trust God because of the pandemic. With all the idle time, young people have also brought God into their lives. You can see this in my parish. Children as young as two are now learning and appreciating the Bible, and older kids are diving deep with our priest into understanding the Bible because of the pandemic.

On the other hand, many people blamed God for the difficult things that happened and for all those who died, and because they were scared, they became separated from God. COVID was also difficult for those who depend on going to church or who look to others to motivate them to stay close to God. When they could not go to church or see others, they lost their faith.

COVID gave us a lot of free time to think about everything. Some of us thought and decided to come closer to God, and others became fearful and blamed God for the pandemic, so they moved further away from him. But with everything opening and our lives returning to normal, we may not again have the opportunity we have had to become closer to God and Jesus. From the pandemic, I have learned that we must use the time that we have to try to get in the habit of putting God in everything we do. The pandemic may bring something positive to our lives by showing us that hardships can be a blessing.

BEATRICE OLDEROG is an eighth-grader living in Orange, New Jersey. She is a parishioner at Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, and is the daughter of Kai and Anne Olderog.