Finding the Connection

Studying: Isaiah 20-21, Psalm 75
Memorizing: Romans 1:1-30
Thoughts: Good

I haven't had a whole lot of "inspiration" lately, if you want to call it that. For the past week or so I've been doing a lot of setting up of meetings and translating for some pastors who are here. While I have been tremendously encouraged by this time, this has also left my brain "fried" at the end of the day (and the beginning to be honest). As I've translated some of these conversations I've learned a lot more, and I've come to realize more and more just how complicated ministry is over here in this culture.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union a huge influx of foreign missionaries came to Russia. The response was tremendous, or so it seemed, with people professing Christ and joining all kinds of churches. Now, some 16 years later, the fire seems to have died down significantly. Many of the same people have left the church. One explanation given for this in some of these conversations was that 16 years ago everything western was new and novel to the Russians. Often times people came out to see the foreigners simply because they had never seen one before. With "religion" being restricted for so long, people were eager to have the fundamental questions of the soul answered and so they wanted to hear about the Bible and "God". Now, these days the church has dwindled down. The days of packing out buildings to preach the gospel seem to have passed. Few are interested. Missionaries can no longer ride the wave of the "novelty" of freedom of worship. Even several years ago I had a woman in Moscow tell me that "everyone in Moscow has already heard the gospel."

So the question now remains, how do we now preach the gospel to Russia afresh? How do we present to them Christ as a way of life, not just as a patch on a wound? With the elderly embittered towards the state, living off of the most meager of pensions in a country where inflation is averaging 12% per year, with the young and middle aged looking to live the "beautiful life" filled with dreams of riches, wealth and money, how do you preach Christ? It would seem that 16 years ago we marched into Russia with much pomp and circumstance attracting people by the tens of hundreds of thousands as if they were coming to watch a circus "Come see the missionaries, come hear what you weren't allowed to hear for so long." But the circus got old after a while and the newness of it wore off. Now many here are realizing that 16 years ago we should have come and first found Russia's idol upon which was written "to an unknown god."