April 11, 2020

Anxiety is Contagious
Lazarus Saturday

- Fr. Gregory Edwards Ph.D - Dean -


Today in the Orthodox Church is known as Lazarus Saturday. The Gospel reading comes to us from John 11:1-45 and it narrates for us the events prior to and after perhaps Jesus’ greatest miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Human anxiety is contagious within our unique family systems and is produced in response to stressors. Father Gregory reflects on Lazarus’ death as the stressor which produces anxiety that is contagious and effects the disciples as well as Martha and Mary. Martha and Mary send a message to Jesus that their brother is ill implying they want Jesus to act immediately in response to their request. Many of us perhaps put Christ into a neat little box and pull Him out when we need Him to act on our behalf in the fashion we request. Jesus delays before journeying to Lazarus’ home with the disciples, which causes them anxiety for fear of the Jews as they travel back into Judea. Martha and Mary offload anxiety on Jesus over the death of their brother Lazarus because He did not act at the moment they requested. Our Lord finally gets their attention by telling them He is the Resurrection and the Life and gets them to focus Him, which diffuses the stressor of Lazarus’ death and calms their anxiety. The lesson that Father Gregory leaves with us as we embark on our Holy Week journey in the midst of great panic and anxiety from the coronavirus, is to let Jesus get our attention and meet His gaze which brings with it a calm.



The Rev. Fr. Gregory Edwards, Ph.D., was raised in Virginia and eastern Pennsylvania, and became a member of the Orthodox Church while studying for his Bachelor's degree

307 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233 | Fr. Gregory Edwards, Dean | 205.716.3080

Photography Credits: Beth Hontzas - Music: Presbytera Katerina Makiej





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The Rev. Fr. Gregory Edwards, Ph.D., was raised in Virginia and eastern Pennsylvania, and became a member of the Orthodox Church while studying for his Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies at Brown University. After completing a Master's Degree in the New Testament and early Christianity at Florida State University, he conducted doctoral studies in Greece at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, graduating summa cum laude in 2012. Ordained in 2007, he served parishes in Thessaloniki and Volos for 9 years. He and his wife Presvytera Pelagia lived in Greece from 2006-2016, where their four children were born. He has served as Assistant Professor of Missiology at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary in New York since 2014. Before coming to Birmingham in March 2019, Fr. Gregory served St. George Greek Orthodox Church in New Port Richey, FL from 2016-2019.