Pride, War, and Tears

“This Friday is probably our last class.” Types a young boy to his Sunday school teacher who is five thousand miles away. “It’s no good. Class is so fun, and has taught me the importance of worshiping God.”

 “Just a second Mom,” says a distracted twenty something pulling her phone out of her pocket to see who was texting her. She smiles as she looks at the display, noting it is one of her favorite Ukrainian students, Seriy. Tears slip down her face as she opens and reads the note from the young boy which shows his understanding of faith and the need for Christian community as his community is in danger of dying.

“Mom, they need someone,” she claims while texting Seriy back expressing her pride in him. “Let me go home.” She pleads with her mother.

“Of course, I will let you go to the place where everyone we love is leaving because of danger.” The mother responds sarcastically.

To some this might seem a dumb exchange, but this is real life. This scenario happened earlier today. An 11 year old boy in a war torn Ukrainian town understands the importance of worship and is grieved that his class is not going to meet as it has for the past 4 years of his life. He is disheartened that there is no one left in his church community to teach and guide his spiritual journey because of the war. He is upset that his initial teacher is not coming back to teach for the summer, as she has for three years.

At the same time a twenty one year old girl is torn between the desire to remain safe and the desire to be with the kids whom she desperately loves, that got unfairly caught up in a war. Her greatest desire is to go back to the neighborhood of her childhood and teenage years; to go back where she is needed. Yet she sits on a nice couch in a safe place writing a stupid blog and talking to those in danger over the internet. She is a coward, not willing to risk herself in order to be Jesus to those who need an example right now.

She sits in the pain and grief of knowing that she has abandoned the people she loves most in life, and might never see any of them again in person. The thought terrifies her, but she does nothing with that fear. Instead she lives as if nothing is different as if nothing is wrong she plays online, watches Netflix, discusses pop culture and snapchats too much. She lives in a bubble to block out the pain of her “sin.” She will text back and forth with some of her favorite Ukrainian friends to make herself feel better, “to distract them from the war” she claims. In such they talk about movies, school, music; everything but the war. 

How is she supposed to be Jesus to these people from 5,000 miles away? How is she supposed to understand the atrocity of war when she has never been under the threat of gunfire or bombs? How is she supposed to be an example to the kids who look up to her when she can’t be there to love on them and play with them or occasionally chastise them? There is nothing she can do from this country but complain on a blog and pray. Which is what she will continue to do. Her body might be in America, going to work, going out to dinner, hanging out at church, but she is done guarding her heart from the pain her people are feeling. She’s done living in the bubble built around her life of caution and safety. She is ready to live more dangerously, to take more risks and be Jesus to more people who might be in danger in this country.

There are actually two wars in the girl’s life. There is one five thousand miles away between two Slavic nations, but there is one much closer to her, in fact it is in her. There is the war for God against evil that is present on a daily basis. All Christians are supposed to be fighting it. Maybe if we all stop living in our bubbles of safety and move into the war zone with conscious effort, we as a collective whole could do something to further the Kingdom. Maybe we could prevent other earthly wars if we were more aware of the spiritual one that every single person fights in one way or another. If Christian soldiers would actually fight instead of passively living their life looking for pleasure and the “happiness” that God want’s for their lives, maybe more people would be touched for Christ, leaving less people to terrorize and harm other peoples. Maybe if people would live what they claim to believe instead of participating in a pastime religion, Christianity would be something people recognize as a lifestyle worth pursuing. Not because the Christian God promises happiness. That is nowhere to be found in the Bible. In fact Jesus promises suffering and proclaims blessing over those who suffer for his name sake (Matthew 5).

The Bible does not bless those who seek happiness, nor does the Bible confuse happiness and joy. That is American culture and televangelists seeking money and fame. What is promised is steadfastness. In Deuteronomy a promise is made: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (31:6)

Then in the NT book of Hebrews, there is a reference to this promise. Now people may feel like God has left them, but that is simply not true. In part I blame culture and some of the preaching that goes out like the “health and wealth gospel.” It skews people’s perceptions of what and who God is. He is not a genie in a lamp to make life better, he is the tower in which mankind should take refuge during the tsunamis that happen.

God has not forsaken Ukraine, he has not forsaken the children who are no longer going to have Bible class. Rather the teachers and children simply cannot see the big picture and the good that will come out of the class not meeting for a while.

Maybe the good is the children will be safer by not going on to the class. Maybe it is that not having class will force the kids to depend on God for their relationship instead of having another human to lean on in their spiritual journey. Whatever the end result be, I have to believe that God will work for the good of those who love him. Not for the happiness, but for the best end result.