Embracing Strangers

I went to church on Wednesday morning to observe the feast of the Annunciation: that glorious appearance of the Archangel Gabriel announcing the imminent Incarnation of Christ. That tells me a couple of things.
1. Christmas is 9 months off
2. Lent is about halfway gone
and
3. Greece is still free of the Ottoman Turks.

Okay, so I admit that my awareness of #3 began this year.

As I was leaving church, one of the lovely "yiayias" (grandmothers) of the church invited me to come to lunch at her house that afternoon at noon. I agreed, not realizing that what I had been invited to was actually a rather sizable party. Once I got there and was introduced to all of the others present, I quickly came to the realization that I was quite possibly the only non-Greek in the house, and I was unquestionable the youngest. One of the major challenges this fact produced from the beginning was that I would have some difficulty remembering names. I get from them a lot that they can remember my name because they have a sister/cousin/daughter/etc. named "Nikki", but I can honestly say that I have never before met an Evagelia, Panagatitza or Soteria, so I am at a bit more of a loss to make name/face associations, unless they mercifully tell me that I can call them "Bessie" or "Eula" or some other somewhat less challenging name.

What I encountered at this party was a larger slice of the Greek community in northern central North Carolina, as some people had come from 40-45 minutes away to be there, including a priest and his wife from another Greek parish. The focus of the day was two-fold, because it was Annunciation and Greek Independence Day. Apparently Independence Day was quite purposely chosen to be associated with the Annunciation. While I don't fully understand why that is, it's quite clear that the promise of good things to come is very strong in both celebrations.

The party itself was amazing. The hostess managed to make food appear as effortlessly as if she was waving a wand, and little yiayias made sure I had plenty to eat. "Eat more, Nikki," was possibly the most common thing I heard (that I could understand). The food was wonderful, and since I had decided to simply accept hospitality without questioning everything as is my wont, it was only after I had tasted the fish roe dip and decided that it was good that I was told what I was eating and decided that I might not have tried it if I had known!

People were very accepting of me and very hospitable, apologizing when their English/Greek conversation tipped to the Greek side and occasionally offering an explanation of what was had been said. There was also a water toast offered at my table to the my health and that of our baby. Also, the hostess added to the lusty singing of three Greek songs that were sung before the main courses (two of them from the church service of the day and one that I assumed was the Greek national anthem or another patriotic song) "America the Beautiful," reminding us all that this is our country now, and that it is, indeed, beautiful. The vase in the kitchen was decorated with both national flags.

It was such an amazing experience, in that I was clearly an outsider, and yet I was embraced by their community even outside of the church walls. I have a theory: Daniel did much of the work to this end by doing some beautiful Greek-language byzantine chanting in a recent church service. One woman present told me that she had taxed her non-Greek husband with the fact: "See! He learned to chant in Greek, and he's not even married to a Greek!" Ah, the many talents of my husband... and the kindness of these lovely people. I contrast this with the question I had been asked once before at another Greek church: "You're not Greek, so why are you here?" While some people did want to know how I came to be orthodox, they didn't make me feel at all that I was less welcome for having been given a Greek name without the Greek parentage!

What better day for accepting others? This was the day on which God announced his intention to draw all of creation to Himself anew. It was the day that Mary embraced the Son of God, who, while being flesh of her flesh, was coming to into the world in an entirely new way - God and man. He, who would come unto His own and be rejected, she cradled in her womb. Strangers would embrace Him as she did first.

As I was leaving, I thanked the hostess for her hospitality. I really felt that the invitation had been emblematic of acceptance that went beyond anything I had expected when we first darkened the doors of this church. She said in reply, "I'm happy you could come. You and Daniel just fit right in from the very beginning. Not everyone new does that." I smiled and replied. "Ah well, you may just make me Greek yet!" In truth, in spirit -- she might!

Today marks the crowning of our salvation and the revelation of the mystery before all ages. For the Son of God becomes the son of the Virgin, and Gabriel proclaims the grace. Wherefore, we also cry out with him, "Hail, O full of grace, the Lord is with you."