Action 4: Demonstrate Unity
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Russian Americans are not to blame for Vladimir Putin’s war, yet many are suffering tremendous prejudice because of it.
At the same time, many people of faith and conscience worldwide - particularly Christians - are appalled to see the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow endorse a war that he should condemn, not least on humanitarian grounds, but primarily out of simple obedience to the teachings of Jesus, in whose name he ministers and whom he claims to represent.
How, as members of one world community and a single Christian faith, do we make sense of this? What, if anything, can we do in response?
Learn
The conflation of Church and State in Russia (or anywhere else) is both geopolitically and spiritually problematic. By subjugating to world authorities a Christians’ highest allegiance to Christ, the Church forfeits its prophetic role in society; the image, teachings, and witness of the Church suffer from conflation with contradictory state interests; and the Christian flock whom Jesus said “hear his voice” and “follow him” when he calls are easily led astray by other shepherds — or, rather, other sheep — and even wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Civil religion is not the good news (the “gospel”) of Jesus Christ. Rome had a civil religion, after all — and raising the Passover cup in remembrance of Jesus was necessarily to defy it. Communion was — and remains — an act of treason against the Caesars of Rome, by whom this act of allegiance was demanded at every meal, and to whom it would otherwise have been rendered. When leaders of any nation decide to play God, or to crucify him, as Pontius Pilate did, communion sets the record straight.
On the contrary, civil religions have a long and storied history of direct violence, sometimes in the very name of Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace, and often against other Christians and people of other faiths — maiming both the Body of Christ and the neighbors whom Jesus calls us to love as ourselves.
Spend five minutes here to learn about the role of religion in Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Reflect
Act
Continue not only to recognize, but to publicly demonstrate that Christian love transcends nationalism, civil religion, and bigotry in all forms:
Contact His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Russian Orthodox Church in the spirit of brotherly love, to ask that he speak out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Consider finding and patronizing local Ukrainian and Russian businesses. Join a Ukrainian Orthodox and a Russian Orthodox congregation for worship – or bless their parishes in other tangible ways. Share a service project, a meal, or a conversation with a Russian-American neighbor. Record a 30 second voicemail message simply to encourage them. Love your neighbor as yourself.