I was led to the Faith by a priest who had introduced many others to Orthodoxy as well. I began a series of discussions with a friend who hated Christianity, and over time, he began to soften. I introduced him to my priest, and he completed his conversion. He then began conversations with a younger mutual friend and led him to the Faith along with his wife and several children and became a godparent. They are all Orthodox now. I began another series of conversations, and created a reading society, for a man who likewise had great disdain for Christianity. He considered himself an academic, and I introduced him to the patristic writings of the Orthodox Fathers, the historical writings of Fr. John Romanides, and others. He decided to become a catechumen, and I took him to a priest, and that happened. I spoke with his wife also, and they both converted, received Holy Matrimony, and his children have became cradle Orthodox. In short, generations of people could be written as a geneology of movement into the Faith because of my mentor (and those who led him), and myself in my unworthiness.
But since then, the one person I led joined an ultra-correct and highly emotional Orthodox group and repudiated any relationship with me, chose a different, random person as godparent, ridiculed the mentor who led me, and has been heard to be quite disrespectful when my name comes up, and speak as though he’s forgotten me altogether and that I share the same Faith. To this day, he teaches others and gives papers on subjects and authors I introduced him to, and to which my original priest introduced me. I even introduced the two gentlemen I originally helped to each other, encouraging them to become friends; the younger one even adopted the older as a kind of uncle who now, ironically, denies that I helped him at all, and likewise belittles nearly everyone as being “incorrect”, even the hyper-correct group to which the other belongs.
I have no doubt that I am incorrect on many things. But aside from feelings of hurt and abandonment, disrespect and unjust treatment (though I work at seeing myself as unworthy of better treatment), I feel that something is quite out of sorts and incomplete with a flavor of Orthodoxy that would allow this in the first place. The Faith, as I understand it, teaches me to always honor those who led me, as parents in the Lord. And as for my godfather, we’ve had some rocky times, but I’ve felt the Fathers teaching me the importance of continually regarding him with respect and honor, and listening to him, and praying for him all his days. I am sure my children in Christ, who are the spiritual children of the one who led me, have reasons for their thoughts and attitudes, but to the degree that they partake of the good things of the faith, they have inherited it through real, tangible human beings, their ancestors in Christ which are always mentioned in the litanies. Since they, full of the zeal of their thoughts, are off doing what they will do, the only comfort I have is that which Christ gives. I have found that praying for them, keeping their names and photos in the ikon corner and watching over them in prayer, is the only way left to be a parent and not feel the inescapable loss of David for Absalom.