“Never Orthodox.” Famous last words.

“I will never become Orthodox.”  And he meant it. He was days away from getting Sola Scriptura tattooed on his kneecaps—ink as conviction—when his closest friend, James St. Simon, entered the Orthodox Church. The line he’d sworn by began to wobble.

What changed him wasn’t a debate or a takedown. It was prayer.  Join Cloud of Witnesses discussion between Jeremy Jeremiah, Mario Andrew, James St. Simon, and special guest, Orthodox Catechumen, Eddie.  

“My heart has always been about prayer,” Eddie says. “My Protestant background told me to pray. Orthodoxy showed me how to pray.” He found “step one” clarity—morning and evening prayers, psalms on the lips, a simple rule that steadied the heart when emotions ran thin. Prayer moved from improvisation to communion.

Others recognized the same hunger. James realized his spontaneous prayers had drifted into performance—aimed at people, not God. Mario found freedom from the anxious loop of “Am I saying enough? Am I praying right?” The ancient patterns didn’t smother the Spirit; they formed the heart—Scripture-soaked, Christ-centered, time-tested.

Then came the moment Eddie couldn’t shake. During the Divine Liturgy, his two-year-old tried to make the sign of the cross—clumsy, sincere, unforgettable.

“This is why Christianity outlasts civilizations and fashions,” Eddie reflects. “It isn’t just for us—it’s for them, when we’re gone.”

The man who almost branded Sola Scriptura into his skin is now learning the rhythms of ancient Christianity—not rejecting Scripture, but receiving it within the prayer-shaped life of the Church. The vow “never Orthodox” didn’t end in an argument. It ended in adoration.

If you’ve ever said your own version of “never,” or longed for a prayer life that’s deeper than resolve and stronger than mood, Eddie’s journey is your invitation. Look again at the ancient paths.

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