Pastor Lytnik of the Siberian Lutheran church addressed the
Sr. Saints group of our Church (The Lutheran Church of Our
Savior,Cupertino, CA) about the work of the Lutheran church
in Siberia. Though this was a Sr. Saints event, others were invited
to attend. I think this event took place around February 2006.
The Soviet Union had killed off all the Lutheran pastors during
its regime. Lutheran churches were destroyed. With the downfall
of the Soviet Union, Lutherans are free to practice their faith.
However this does not mean the Lutherans are without opposition.
The Russian Orthodox church has sought to have a monopoly on the
spiritual life of Russia, but has so far not achieved that aim.
My impression is that the Lutheran church in Russia is going through
a time of rebuilding. One of our members has been heavily involved
with the work of the Lutheran church in Russia. She pointed out that a
number of young people, such as orphans, have found a home in the
Lutheran church. She appeared quite hopeful for the church.
I could not help but contrast her statement with what a Polish lady
said about 27 years ago. When she visited the Soviet Union, only old
people went to church. And the only young people who showed up at
church during that era, were thugs who would beat up church
parishioners. And so when this Polish lady visited a church during
that era, she and her friends were greeted with hostility. How times
have changed ! Not completely. Unfortunately some of the old leaders
are still in power. But at least there is no state enforced atheism.
I got a chance to talk to the Pastor afterwards. I asked him why he
was not an atheist given, the fact that it was illegal to be religious
during that era. He mentioned that his parents told him not to
believe the government. That skeptical attitude started him on his
spiritual quest at age 16. I told him that one Ukrainian's response
was that there is a Russian saying that the forbidden fruit is
sweeter. That is why the Ukrainian was Orthodox and not atheist.
The pastor was familiar with the saying. But he mentioned that saying
was used in a more light hearted manner, such as a mother telling her
child not to eat the candy. For him the matter was much more
serious. Being a Christian meant that he was received a stamp on his
papers or
passport saying he was crazy. He also was sent to a mental
institution. At the time the Soviets sent people to mental
institutions. I suppose this was more "humane" than Stalin's policy
of concentration camps and extermination. But it was still manifestly
unfair to people whose only crime was to think differently from the
Soviet party line.
I asked this pastor about keeping his Christianity a secret. He
mentioned the verse from the Sermon on the Mount, where no one lights
a candle and hides it under a bushel. If memory serves me correctly I
think he said something along the lines that there comes a time where
one has to take a stand or make a confession of faith.
The Lutheran seminary in Siberia is located at Novosibirsk. Concordia
Seminary, Fort Wayne has been active in providing support to that
seminary. Professors have gone over there to teach, among them was
the late Professor Marquart, who spoke Russian. Professor Marquart's
stepfather was related to the famed Russian Orthodox theologian
Meyendorf.
In addition Russian speakers have come to the Fort Wayne
Seminary to study. While the situation in Russia is not paradise, who
would have thought that such an opportunity of having a sister
seminary in Siberia would have been possible 20 years ago? Please
pray for the work of the Siberian Lutheran church.
P.S. I this account (worded slightly different) with someone who
visited Czechoslovakia when it was under the thumb of the Soviet
Communists. An elderly couple asked him to pray for them. The son of
the elderly couple scoffed saying the Soviets would never leave.
About ten years later the evil empire of the Soviet Union fell. The
visitor to Czechoslovakia wanted to tell the family that he had
prayed, and maybe his prayers helped. But he lost contact with that
family. Who would have thought that the Soviet Union would fall?
Those who now say the fall of the Soviet Union was inevitable are
either ignorant or dishonest. Perhaps the lesson is that maybe some
things are not as impossible as they seem.
Guy
# posted by GuyTak @ 11:15 PM
