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Have you ever met someone and just felt at home? Yes? Well, have you ever met a group of people and felt the same way within 48 hours? Most people don’t. And yet, at all the OCF retreats that I’ve been to, I have found this to be a common theme.
These retreats are great because you get to learn more about your faith and, at the same time, connect with people who have the same core values as you. At the past Northeast Regional Retreat, which I attended from March 3rd-5th, I learned more about “Breathing Underwater: Yearning for Stillness and Communion.” Living as a college student on a college campus, it can definitely feel as if you are underwater. Many of the things that surround you do not revolve around Christ, or the Church, and much even defies the Church’s teachings. It can be hard to practice your faith while constantly being in this environment. Furthermore, it can be difficult to find other Orthodox students on campus who share your beliefs.
By being in an Orthodox setting, surrounded by Orthodox students my age for about three days straight, I was truly able to get to the surface. As I listened to Deacon Tishel’s talks and had amazing fellowship with the other students, I was finally able to gulp in the fresh air after having to hold my breath for so long. I cherish these retreats very much, as they are a way to re-energize my soul before having to re-enter the cold water.
When I go back to campus after the retreats and feel my head becoming enclosed by water again, I know that I will have the strength to breath underwater. I know that I can rely on my faith and the Church to help guide me through the currents, and the people that I’ve met at the retreats to lend me some oxygen when I think I am starting to run out.
I am very thankful for Orthodox Christian Fellowship and the retreats that they offer. A big thank you to Spyridoula Fotinis and Elias Pappas for organizing this last retreat. You guys did an amazing job! I can’t wait for the next one!
