The orthodox world is at war and the aggressor claims the authority of Christ for murder, torture, and rape.
As we approach Easter, the time when Christians celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, the stench of Hell is palpable. We are witnesses to a pointless slaughter, the invasion of Ukraine, which has cast the shadow of nuclear war on us all.
The invasion of Ukraine is a clear example of raw aggression, of a larger and more powerful state asserting its tenuous claim to the land and wealth of another. The most troubling aspect is the role of the Russian orthodox church which has become a slave to the naked ambition of the state. There are none of the possible justifications for war that might be acceptable. No one was threatened, there was no danger, it is simply a demonstration of bestial dominance.
Every outcome seems pregnant with danger.
If the bully is victorious and becomes more entitled, he will seek to extend his grip. A frustrated dictator may turn to ever crueller means and more terrible crimes will ensue. If other nations step forward the Russians may use weapons that will irreparably damage the world we live in, and Hell will become prevalent in a way never seen before.
We are witnesses to a crucifixion, the needless murder, rape, and torture of folks like us. The face of Christ in His agony looks on a new horror. The Father seems again to have deserted the Son of Man, to have left that poor creature at the mercy of the merciless.
Christ’s holy image hangs like meat on a cross, while the Ukrainians are ripped by hot metal, raped, terrified and executed for no crime at all. We are living the crucifixion, in my case vicariously, but in Ukraine in flesh, blood and bone.
Our answer is to wait patiently on our God
Good Friday will pass, and Easter will come. The Lord will return to His possession and take His account of what has taken place. Who can know His perfect judgement? I would venture to say that the instigation of mass horror will be unlikely to find favour in the court of the Most High.
Putin & Kirill can spout their false piety, but the Lord sees their hearts and by their fruits, He will judge them. They opened the gates of Hell imagining that it would serve their purpose. They will have to give account of their actions to God Almighty. For those who unleash horror on the innocent, God’s condemnation may be a fate worse than death.