Lessons from the Colorado Shooting

What unspeakable horror for our fellow Americans to experience as occurred in Aurora, Colorado 2 nights ago.  Unexplainable apart from an honest assessment of the human condition.  Many words have been written and will be written about who this killer was and motives behind his crime.  I have read such comments as “sick”, “deranged”, “low life”, etc.  While all these descriptions are not false, I think we miss the point if we Christians point fingers solely at him.  In thinking about what God would have me take away from this event, I was reminded that left to myself, I too am capable of such unspeakable evil.  We all are.  Our sinful condition is too great to underestimate.  If we look within our own hearts, it is not hard to see the anger, impatience, jealousy, hurt, or whatever that lurks beneath the surface.  Think of a time when you were really angry with your spouse or children, and what you felt deep within, perhaps even what you were thinking, though you might never have voiced it.  Then thank God for the restraint and self-control that He grants in those situations.  Think of those persons without community, without friends, without a church family, without love, without forgiveness, without hope, and then the despair and anger that they must feel every day.  Were it not for the grace of God, I could be that person.  And so could you.   Sure, most people do not become serial killers.  Most become honest, law abiding citizens.  But even that is a gift of God, the protective gift of restraint on an otherwise sinful culture.  We do not believe we are all that bad because God is good to shield us from a full onslaught of evil all the time.  He could allow evil in its vilest, purest form, like occurred Thursday night in Aurora, Colorado, to present itself in our face each and every day.  And there are some places in the world, no doubt, where “innocent” men, women, and children witness these things on a regular basis.  We are blessed -- blessed to live in a country where God has not abandoned us to our own devices completely, where He has seen fit to shower His grace on the righteous and the unrighteous.  When these horrific events happen, it is something to be mourned.  We should be outraged.  We should feel deep sorrow for the victims.  We should pray for those affected and yes, even for our enemy, the one who committed such atrocities.  But I think perhaps even more importantly, we should not let this tragedy go by without turning the finger back towards ourselves and examining our own hearts to ask the question, “Why not me, Lord?  Why am I not as lost as this man?  Why did you choose me as the object of your love and not your wrath?”  The answer lies only in the cross.  Jesus loves me, this I know.   Perhaps never on this side of heaven will we be able to fully satisfy the question of why a good God allowed such raw evil to fall upon these families of the men, women, and children who lost a loved one this week.  Even though this man has committed a crime that is beyond belief, I daresay we will not understand the depth of the Gospel until we can agree with the Apostle Paul ”This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” *  The Gospel does not become so amazing until we understand the depths from which we came.  This tragic event reminds us of the depths from which we came.  May we not forget this lesson, and somehow as only God can, may He use it for His glory to bring many from death to life.*KJV, 1 Timothy 1:15

Dacha Season

Somehow in the course of a week, summer arrived here.  Last week the children were still wearing jackets, and this week the shorts are out!  That is a big deal here in the Russian Far East, where the temps amazingly are up to 100 degrees greater (F) than they were in the height of the winter.    Already the abundant weeds and fewer flowers are everywhere, and the mosquitos are beginning to come out of hiding.  The Russians are busy working on their dachas, planting their vegetable gardens, and generally enjoying their respite from the cold.  In case you don't know what a dacha is, it is an old Russian tradition.   Almost all families have one, however humble it might be.  From what I have read, somewhere around 70% of Russians live in cities.  Historically Russian peasants were actually gathered and forced into the cities to work in industries.  Since they were made to live in the cities in tall, concrete apartment buildings, they did not become city dwellers of their own choosing.  So today you will discover that their way of doing things is not really any different than their fore bearers, and the city-dwellers are basically still villagers at heart.

This carries over into so many aspects of their life.   Russian families grow the majority of their produce and eat off their land.  Many store their beets and onions in underground cellars in the city to last them throughout the harsh winter months.   You may say that many city or suburb-dwelling Americans have gardens also.  But here is where they differ.  When you go into the grocery stores & markets during the winter months in Russia, it is difficult if not impossible to find decent fresh produce.  They don't have it.   You can find more nowadays from China but it is not always fresh, and you can be sure it isn't organic but is loaded with chemicals.  When summer arrives, however, the outdoor markets will be full of homegrown, seasonal, organic produce of all varieties.  Americans have become accustomed to eating what we want when we want it.  You can go into Wal-mart and buy fresh strawberries, lettuce, or green beans any day of the year.  Not so here where they eat much more seasonally.  In the winter, they eat a lot more root vegetables and pickled vegetables that they have stored up during the harvest.   We were recently invited to our friend's dacha, and it was a very interesting experience.  It is remarkable how they have passed down this way of life from generation to generation with very little changing, almost Amish-like.  In fact the only real difference is that there is an electric light and portable stove for heating water inside.  100 years ago there would just have been a coal stove.  The dacha garden and all it entails is not just a summer hobby for them, but woven into the very culture of their people.  So much so that they congratulate each other on the opening of the dacha season (somewhere around May 1) and store gear their advertisements toward this season.   Last week I walked into the "Wal-mart" of Khabarovsk and found large bags of potatoes for sale at the entrance of the store -  only they were seed potatoes for planting.  It was even the subject of part of the sermon we heard last Sunday rebuking those that would spend their Sundays at their dacha instead of at church worshiping.  Kind of ironic since the ones that were at their dacha weren't at church to hear that message.  Aside from the fact that the ground is frozen and one cannot plant until May, the roads are so bad that a car or bus could not get to most dachas during the winter months.  Nowadays there are more and more Russians who are able to spend money on a cottage with running water, toilet, and heat, so that they can stay year-round at their country home.  But no so with the average Russian family.  I suspect that this is more true in Western Russia near Moscow.  

Thoughts of late

It is Day 4 of no hot water, no dishwasher, and no hot water heater.  Okay, I realize that I am spoiled.  The water often goes out in Russia, and the hot water regularly goes out sometimes for a week at a time.  We have been blessed in that we have a hot water heater in our apartment (that just happens to be broken right now), so thus far we haven't felt the effects.  And last time I lived in Ukraine without hot water, I didn't have 4 kids.  So being without hot water really makes me appreciate it.   We have been boiling water numerous times a day to keep with the dishes.  Not having decent paper plates adds a lot to the dish load also.  Boiling water to wash hands.  Boiling water to sponge bath for those of us who care.  Boiling water to clean the floor.  And for now the clothes get washed in cold water.  But I just found out from our landlord that the hot water goes back on tonight - yea!  Showers and baths for everyone!

When things are taken away from us, even for a brief time, we become acutely aware of how much we value those things.  This happens all the time to all of us.  Your husband goes out of town and you realize how much he does for your family.  Your car dies and you realize how much you depend upon it for transportation.  Someone in your family gets sick and you realize how important health is.  And on and on.  So it is a blessing when God temporarily takes things away from us so that we can remember what the truly important things are.  He says not to worry about what we will eat or drink nor what we will wear, for our Heavenly Father knows that we need them.  But instead to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to us as well  (paraphrase from Matthew 6).  We are not to worry about tomorrow for each day has enough trouble of itself.  Living overseas just makes me realize this more than the average day in America.   He does provide all these things, and what He wants is for you & I to seek Him above all the things that we tend to be so concerned about.  

Lately I have had the privilege of having several neat conversations with my kids about spiritual things.  Most recently my oldest came to me and told me that one of the boys outside had showed him some matches, and he & his friend told him in the little bit of Russian he knows, "No, I don't need that."  I was able to have a good conversation with him about 1) the dangers of playing with matches and 2) about the fact that he was growing up and soon going to be facing lifestyle decisions.  Unfortunately, boys in Russia as young as 10 are frequently introduced to smoking.  I would guess that about 75% of Russians smoke, and there are very few "no-smoking" rules so it is everywhere.    We began talking about temptations and how to respond if he was offered things he knew were wrong, and then that led us into a broader discussion about choosing the narrow path as a Christian and that didn't always mean the easy one.  He immediately connected it to the book "Pilgrim's Progress" that we had recently read as a family.  The next day while I was ironing, he began another discussion about how we know whether God is really real and how we get faith.  Neat to see how the Spirit works when we least expect it.

The other conversation that I was able to have was with my 4 year old about having a clean heart.   I talk to them a lot in terms of having a "dirty heart" and that Jesus gives us a "clean heart".  So my 4 year old asked me how to get a clean heart.  I think he thought Jesus would physically take out his heart and put a new one in.   After explaining the gospel to him again in terms he could understand, I asked him if he wanted to ask Jesus for a clean heart.  At first, he nodded, and then he got shy and didn't want to pray.  However, I know seeds were planted.  And as we continue to water them, I get excited about how God will make them grow in his little heart.

Victory Day Practices

May 9 is Victory Day in Russia, a widely celebrated holiday where people get several days off work, and there are large military parades in every Russian city.  The biggest of course being in Moscow's Red Square.  Google it sometime and you can see some terrific footage on Youtube.  Khabarovsk, being the seat of power, in the Russian Far East has a pretty impressive one as well, especially for those of us who didn't grow up accustomed to seeing such sights. Unfortunately, our movie lens is new,  and I have a whole lot to learn.  Hopefully I will have some better footage after Saturday when they have the  next practice.  They practiced for a couple hours yesterday down the main streets, and we hiked down there hoping to catch a glimpse.  A glimpse we did catch as we were able to be near the front of the main square with a fairly unobstructed view.   It was lots of fun, especially when the cannons went off, and I wasn't sure whether that was a bomb exploding or an intentional part of the display.

May Day

Today is May Day, which is a widely celebrated holiday here in Russia with workers taking 2 days off, enjoying time at their dachas, having barbecues, parades, and generally enjoying their official beginning of Spring after a long winter.  In addition to Spring, it is their Labor Day.

Naturally being in Russia, there was at least one small political demonstration going on.  We took the kids and walked toward the square thinking we were going to see a parade, but soon realized we were way early.  There were at least  hundred police officers (seriously) surrounding the main square and very few people.  The only reason they let us in the square was because we were with children, so said the guard.  Russians favor children, which is a good thing.  At the end of the square (all Russian cities have huge squares), there was a communist rally.  The kids quickly became bored with that and probably with us telling them to be quiet and not to speak loudly in English, but we found it very interesting.  There was a man holding up a picture of Lenin and one holding a picture of Stalin.  They were shouting chants of returning back to Socialism and booing capitalism and wishing for times when their apartments were given to them, and they didn't have to pay for their own electricity.  Most of the small crowd appeared over the age of 65.

It was a strange experience, yet thankfully this was only the beginning of our day.  After feeling completely paranoid at being surrounded by the watching eyes of the police officers, we decided to grab the kids' bikes and go bike riding in the park.  At this point we also saw the parade from the bottom of the hill and realized we had just missed it.  The park painted a completely different picture of May Day.  People were sitting around park benches with their juice, beer, and sandwiches visiting.  Parents were walking around with kids buying ice cream and balloons, playing in the park, and generally enjoying themselves.  Even though jackets and coats can still be seen, Spring arrived today in the minds of the Russians.

watching the soldiers walk through park

Orthodox Easter

Today was our 2nd Easter!  This Sunday was Orthodox Easter in Russia as they follow the Julian calendar, and it does not always coincide with our celebration of Easter according to the Gregorian calendar.  Russian Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas by a 40 day fast, somewhat similar to the Catholic period of Lent.  The Saturday before Easter they follow a strict fast until midnight and spend the day preparing for Easter by cooking, decorating eggs, and preparing their hearts to receive Easter communion.  At midnight the faithful Orthodox go to church services which last for 3 hours.  The next morning they have another Easter service in the morning.  Some traditions which we learned about besides the painting of Easter eggs is the blessing of the Easter baskets by the priests.  People bring baskets of special Easter "Pashka" bread and painted eggs to be blessed by holy water.

Another tradition is the ringing of the Easter bells which takes place after the Easter services on top of the "crom"or church.  We climbed the 200+ steps to the top of the church and participated in the ringing of the bells.  Here is a funny set of pictures of Cool-J with a lady helping him ring one of the smaller bells.  It was VERY loud!  Too bad we didn't get a picture of the bell itself.

The Orthodox church is a beautiful place inside and out with its beautiful gold domes and beautiful painted icons inside, but I felt a sense of great emptiness inside.  The services are done in Greek and Russian, but I wondered if most Russians could not even understand what was going on.  There are no pews or chairs, and everyone is standing in mass during the services while the priest is in the back room preparing the bread and wine for communion.  Orthodox Christians, like Catholics and Lutherans, believe that during communion the bread and wine actually become miraculously the bread and body of Christ as opposed  being a remembrance of Christ's blood being shed and His body being broken on our behalf.  There are booths inside of the church service with workers selling icons and other religious books and people standing in line to buy icons and candles to light in honor of various saints.   From my perspective, it brings to mind the story of Jesus overturning the tables as he entered the temple and found moneychangers and people selling animals.  

After Easter services we were invited to our friends' home for wonderful Russian hospitality and a beautiful table of food, drink, and Easter cakes and eggs.    We all had a great time reconnecting with friends, and enjoying Russian culture and a special day.

Spring Day in Khabarovsk

The Amur River still frozen over

One of the Orthodox churches in the city