After that first Easter, the people who had been following Jesus had to figure out who they were. At first, they proclaimed the fulfillment of Jewish prophecies. They didn’t set out to start a new religion. In many ways, this same activity of figuring out one’s identity in Christ happens repeatedly throughout history. At this moment in history, as Christ-followers, we must once again decide who we are.
Our situation is nothing new. In 1917, the Russian Orthodox Church had a close kinship with the Tsarist state. Liberals and revolutionaries criticized church officials for being inward-focused, resistant to reforms, and preoccupied with doctrine and ritual over social conditions. The Bolsheviks satirized religious officials to delegitimize their authority. Earlier, Vladimir Lenin wrote, “Religion is a sort of spiritual booze, in which the slaves of capital drown their human image, their demand for a life more or less worthy of man [sic.]” (in “Socialism and Religion,” 1905). The idea, often attributed to Lenin or Trotsky, is that the bishops the proper length of candlesticks while the Bolsheviks prepared the revolution.
As our country continues supply massive amounts of military ordinance to wars around the world, what are we doing? Are we praying for peace? Are we calling or writing to our representatives? We have a voice, and God calls us to use it. Each of us has opportunities to stand for what is right. We can advocate for diplomacy. We can engage with our elected officials. We can mobilize public support and utilize social media to express our discontent with violence.
Jesus was with the people. He engaged with those with whom he disagreed. For example, see John 3 and his conversation with Nicodemus, and bear in mind that Nicodemus was a religious official. He was part of the establishment that ultimately killed Jesus. Following Jesus means living our faith. In Russia of 1917, it might mean setting aside debates about the proper height for candles and telling Lenin, Trotsky, and the other Bolsheviks about who Jesus really is. Perhaps, Matthew 25.31-46 would have been a good place to start with them. For warmongers in 2026, Matthew 5.9, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” would be a better place to start.
Before we can testify about who Jesus is, we must decide who we are. Will we be like Pope Pius XII who held secret negotiations with Hitler? Or will we be like Oscar Romero? On the day before an assassin killed him, he said in a radio address, “I would like to make an appeal especially to the men of the army… No soldier is obliged to obey an order against the law of God.” He called on the military to stop carrying out order that killed and destroyed people. He paid for his statement with his life.
Let all people of faith pray for peace.
Peace,
Matt