A Saturday Evening Post

With the spotlight on Ukraine, not much has been said about the situation of churches in Russia. In Ukrainian churches there is no conflict, the war has brought them together. Like the first church, they are having all things in common. We have read about the incredible selflessness of Ukrainian Christians, but the war has left Russian people deeply divided.  

As I did interviews for this blog, I was not prepared for where it would take me. This post may be my most prayerful one since it involves deep emotions that we do not easily comprehend, observing from such a distance. 

Previously I shared about the amazing journey of the group that escaped Mariupol. I wanted to return to look at those who coordinated this rescue from the Russian side. I was prepared to tell the story of how all Russians can’t stand the war and are all on the same page. One of the Christians involved in that rescue shared details that reveal a different story. 

Depending on what poll you read 56-70% of Russians support Russian action against Ukraine. There are many reasons for this. Many Russians live in remote areas and have only heard the ‘official’ narrative that there is only an operation, and not a war. They have been told that it is to defend Russians near the border, or to get rid of Nazis, which sounds reasonable. Some, who might suspect that these explanations aren’t true remain silent for fear of retribution. They have watched Putin’s political rival get sent to a modern-day concentration camp where he has been starved and beaten and ‘re-educated.’ 

Many Russian churches have concluded that politics has no part in the family of God. As Christians, aren’t we called to peace? Don’t we know that Christ did not come to overthrow the Roman regime as many had hoped? 

On the other hand, many of those Russian Christians that do not support the war or the current Russian regime do not see this as a political issue, but as a moral issue that the church should not stay silent on. They can’t cheerfully shake the hand of a brother who vacations in the Russian-occupied Crimea. The Bible says if you have a grievance with your brother, then you should go to that brother and make peace with him, but how can this be done when anything remotely political is taboo?  

Sadly, as I got into this story, I discovered that a brother in Christ feels so alienated from others in his church that he cannot worship with them any longer.  

 In the list of apostles are two men that couldn’t be more different in their political perspectives (Luk 6:15). Matthew was a tax collector on behalf of Rome – maybe perhaps somewhat similar to our big government progressives. Also invited into Christ’s inner circle, was Simon the Zealot. Zealots were a self-appointed militia group that believed in strict enforcement of Moses’ law, and who also desired to take up arms against Rome. Think of them as ‘extreme right-wingers’.  

Within days of Christ being assassinated by the Roman government, we find both of these men sitting at the same table. We never read whether they changed their political viewpoints or not. Matthew is always referred to as the tax collector, and Simon is always referred to as Zealot.  We do see them always mentioned together. Something made them capable to eat and fellowship together. 

Maybe it was the knowledge that Jesus did not come to make the world a better place politically. Jesus didn’t even come to make the world better morally! 

“The fleshly mind is opposed to God and isn’t subject to the laws of God, nor indeed can it be!” – Rom 8:7 

It is impossible for us to change the world into an ideal place. That doesn’t mean we don’t talk about moral subjects, for Christ describes our job. Like him we are to seek and save the lost: 

“Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” – Matt 28:20 

Jesus described us as lights on a hill, shining to attract people to God’s city; not trying to change the towns located around it. We do have to speak on difficult topics, but how we do so is going to be important: 

“We know that we all have knowledge, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies” – 1 Cor 8:1  

That means we can have the right opinion and still not help anyone. If the world does not see a unified church publicly declaring truth in love, that light will be very dim.