The Russian war on Ukraine has revealed that the world is not what I thought it was. In the 21st century, I thought nations would not send hundreds of thousands of troops across a border to seize land from another sovereign nation. By not having to build up huge militaries, we could spend our money and energy to build dynamic societies and economies that provide opportunity for those who have historically struggled with poverty and access to education. The internet would guarantee that truth would be accessible to everyone and lies would be easily disproved. If you thought these things too, the Russian war on Ukraine has proved us wrong. It seems like we haven’t learned the lessons of the 20th century. Here we go again.
Cycles of humans hurting humans have happened throughout history, but it never felt so personal or real as it does now. The book of Judges tells story after story of God’s people learning from their failures for a generation or two, but then falling back into idolatry and self-destructive ways before crying out to God from the rubble. Repeat, with increasing suffering and death. Reading Judges from the relatively comfortable position of the late 20th century, we could say, “Oh, aren’t we enlightened!” Wrong. Human nature rears its ugly head again.
The resurrection of Christ is our only hope to break the cycle. I’ve said this before, but it is true in a visceral way now: hope of human progress has once again been blown up. Once again, we have human dreams dying under a barrage of cruise missiles and artillery, human aspiration dying on an imperial cross. What hope is there for life when looking at the power of death and evil? Only Christ’s resurrection.
This Easter, we will proclaim, “Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed!” and we can say it with the fervor of a people who know there is no other hope. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins…. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died!” Because Christ lives, we can face what seems like the endless cycle of human sin knowing that ultimately the cycle is broken, and only life in Christ remains. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?... But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:57-58). The world is not what we thought—Christ is alive!
I am encouraged by Christ’s resurrection, willing to face the cycle again with renewed energy to love neighbors and enemies, and pray you will be too.
Pastor Peter
