OB: You mention in your artist bio that you came to Orthodoxy after many years of agony and searching. Could you tell us a little bit about your background and what drew you to the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church?

Jim: Thank you for this opportunity, Glen. I was very happy to discover Orthodox Biz and your very helpful and interesting articles.

I was baptized as an infant in the Greek Orthodox Church. My father, Peter, came to America from Siatista, Greece as a young lad of 13 to be with his father, Jim. My father married his beloved wife, Mary, who is a Roman Catholic. Although, otherwise their marriage was a beautiful and loving blessing, religion was a sore point between them.

I was first baptized Catholic, then subsequently baptized Orthodox. As we have, for the most part, lived in a small village in Fredonia, NY, there were no other Orthodox Christians or Church nearby. My father forbid my sister and I to go to the Catholic church with mom, and we were permitted to make up our own minds when we became teenagers. As there was no Orthodox Church nearby, we both chose to go to church with mom.

Aside from our prayer at dinner, our religious education as children consisted of watching the great old movies, such as the Ten Commandments, Samson and Deliah, The Robe, Demetrius and the Gladiators, King of Kings, The Greatest Story Ever Told (and Zorba the Greek, of course).

During my high school years, 1964-1968, I played in a rock band as a singer and lead guitarist. In 1969, I went to the first Woodstock and fell into the culture of death, drugs and new age beliefs during my college years 1968-1972. (Yep, that makes me 58!)

My beautiful parents took our family to Greece in 1971 when my dad and his brother and sister were reunited for the first time in 40 years! You can imagine the joy and tears. Yet while I was in Greece, my girlfriend back in the USA informed me that she was pregnant and needed money for an abortion. At the time I readily agreed believing it to be an easy solution to a difficult problem. How very wrong I was.

... THE RIGHT TO LIFE BELONGS TO EVERYONE.

ABORTION IS MURDER EVERY DAY FIVE THOUSAND DIE

THE FETUS FEELS PAIN AND SUFFERING

RIGHT AND WRONG COME FROM ABOVE.

ABORTION IS SIN. YET, IN CHRIST THERE IS FORGIVENESS.

THE MOST ODIOUS OF OPPRESSIONS ARE THOSE WHICH MASK AS JUSTICE.
-Robert H. Jackson, Supreme Court Justice and chief Nuremberg prosecutor.

When I returned to America, I discovered that she was having sex in my bed while I was away. We parted soon afterwards. I subsequently became attached to another young woman at college. Upon graduation, we moved to Manhattan, where I persued an unsuccessful career in rock music. We married in the Catholic church, yet it was a loveless and promiscuous marriage without children. We divorced in 1980. I had been carrying so much subconscious guilt for the abortion I agreed to that my life was filled with hurt and self-deprecation.

At this time my father became ill and I decided to return to Fredonia to care for him. When I arrived home (such a beautiful word... home!) my uncle, aunt and cousin had also come to stay with us for the first time! What a wonderful distraction it was.

Nevertheless, my pain had led me to follow a group of “full Gospel” charismatic Protestants after hearing a music concert in the village park. It was a shock to become familiar with their anti-Catholic doctrines. My father passed on Septermber 15, 1983. I was so glad to have become close with him again (and still do miss him everyday).

Father Nicholas Rafael, a Greek Orthodox priest, visited dad in the hospital and became a close friend to our family. He was permitted to join in at dad’s funerial service held at mom’s church. We attended a 40 day memorial at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and the Byzantine chant and Liturgy touched me deeply. I discovered two of Tim Ware’s books (The Orthodox Way and The Orthodox Church) and realized that I knew next to nothing about Orthodoxy.

I realize I am going on a bit too long here. My apologies. It was at a St. Nicholas Greek Festival that, during one of our many conversations, God used Father Nick to help me realize the truth (and beauty) of Orthodoxy. I had, indeed, reached a dead end with Protestant religion. I told Father Nick that I wanted to come back to the Church. I began to meet regularly with him and discovered to my delight that Orthodoxy had always taught what I had come to believe in my heart and in my mind. When I went to my first confession I was set free from so much sin and guilt. My Holy Communion was so very beautiful, having once denied that the Eucharist was the body and blood of Jesus Christ. I had come full circle and I was home at last! (such a beautiful word... home!)

OB: Tell us about your music. It is Orthodox inspired, but with a more modern twist.

Jim: I simply want to be able to inspire my Orthodox brothers and sisters and at the same time, to help others of all faiths (or none) to discover the truth and beauty of Orthodox Christianity without compromise. I try very hard to make the song lyrics most important, often using Scriptures to bring the message of the Gospel in a contemporary way. I understand that my singing isn’t for everyone, but this serves me well for humility - without which we cannot know God.. I often think that, if God could reach me where I was, then He can surely reach anyone. With Christ, all things are possible.

OB: It must be difficult trying to break into the music business as an Orthodox Christian. Do you still have a day job? How are you marketing yourself and your music?

Jim: Having once had the lust for the big time, I am content to let God lead me where He wants me to be. I am very thankful that, as an independent artist, I can record, and make my music available over the Internet without dependance upon the “record” industry with its many disadvantages and compromises. I have worked at various non-music enterprises from handyman to investment advisor. Last March, I had a heart attack and I have recovered nicely this past year with the help of my beautiful mother and sister, and pet Cocker Spaniel. My promotion efforts are almost entirely over the Internet. As the Apostle Paul said, I have learned to be content with much and with little.

OB: I’ve seen your videos and I was wondering - what gave you the idea and how successful have they been in attracting attention to your music?

Jim: I had been performing live music concerts here and there with a quite large P.A. system. After letting it go, I realized that, with the Internet, I have a P.A. that reaches the entire world 24/7! Glory to God! I am actually thrilled to be able to reach one person let alone the hundreds that I have reached so far.

OB: What are you goals for your music and for yourself as an artist?

Jim: Simply to be pleasing to God.

OB: As a community, what could the Orthodox be doing to better support our artists?

Jim: This has been a difficult one for me as I have met with rejection. For instance, I have sought booking at various Church festivals without success. I have one memory in particular where I was told by the Board of Directors that they did not want to “turn anyone off with religion.” Nevertheless, I pray for them that God might bless them. And I ask myself, “what can I do to better support the Church?”

I have a song, Do You Know What It’s Like? (Available on “Christ Is Risen” )

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LOVE SOMEONE

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO GIVE ALL YOU’VE GOT ...

---

 [Jim Giatas - Orthodox Christian Singer, Songwriter, and Musician Talks About His Life and Music]

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