From Russia with blogs | starving…

… in the midst of abundance | Vadim Hurin

Today in Russia, there are many different churches: Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Catholic and Orthodox of all different denominations. It was not always this way.

Not that long ago, it was forbidden to be a Christian. To admit that you were of Christian faith meant putting yourself under serious suspicion. Of course, the church still existed back then, but it could not openly meet or legally own any building for the purpose of doing so (Orthodox churches were owned by the government just like everything else). The government used all its strength in trying to show that God does not exist.

In one of the largest cathedrals of Petersburg, Kazan cathedral, there was a museum of religion and atheism. Many churches were made into storage buildings, clubs, or other types of buildings. Bibles were not freely sold. One of my friends who had religious relatives showed me a copy of the New Testament written out by hand. Despite its pressures and persecutions, the church survived. People worshipped God and strived to live by Jesus’ commandments.

Today, being a Christian does not impress anybody. Pretty much all Russians could consider themselves Orthodox just because they were born in Russia. Bibles can be bought in numerous translations, and people can read them anywhere they please.

Unfortunately, I cannot say that this freedom has caused more people to diligently study the Bible. Let’s take our Salvation Army as an example. Many times, when I inquire about what people have been reading about in the Bible, I discover that they’re not reading anything at all. It would seem that everything is out in the open and accessible, but at the same time it’s this very freedom that causes a lot of Biblical ignorance. There are many more distractions - the Internet, movies, TV - that compete for our attention.

This seems like a famine amongst an abundance of food. Even though God’s Word is so readily available to all, many Christians are starving themselves.

Do people really need to be persecuted and oppressed in order to appreciate and to study the Bible?

Writer: Captain Vadim Khurin was born into a family of circus artists. He joined The Salvation Army in 1995 and is now an officer serving in St. Petersburg, Russia. He loves music, sports, reading and learning. He has a beautiful wife - Inna - and three children. He likes to ask hard questions and find different ways of helping people get back their wholeness and integrity.

1 Comment to From Russia with blogs | starving…

1. Here Here! I agree Whole heartedly!!!!!

   There’s an old saying in the west ‘When there is war, the churches are full. When there is peace, the churches are empty’. I think the reason for this is people don’t know what their ‘need’ is when there is peace. The church (or religion) does not seem to answer any ‘questions of life’ for them. Maybe that’s the challenge.

   Yours in Christ,
   Graeme.
Graeme Randall on April 7th, 2009

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