His example is beginning to pry open the narrowed slats of
our eyes to principles that our Western world has rejected, principles that might
even be greater than our own lives. Why would someone put his life and the
lives of his fellow countrymen at stake if this life is all that we have? How
can our principles be greater than our lives, which can be snuffed in a moment?
Why not lay down before Putin and become Russians?
There is only one possible answer to these questions. There
must be another place where the principles, which stir our hearts, will be
fulfilled and given their due recognition.
But shouldn’t “love” direct us to turn the other cheek
before any oppressor or bully? Should dignity and justice demand that a nation
run and hide or stand against injustice and bullying. Shouldn’t a husband
defend his family and daughters against those who would grab them away into sex
slavery? Even Jesus acknowledged that it is the expected duty of the husband to
defend his family:
·
“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on
what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house
had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed
awake and would not have let his house be broken into.” (Matthew 24:42-43)
Does love conquer all? It depends on our definition of
“love.” Love isn’t an indiscriminate substance that you can apply equally to
everything. Instead, love must start at home. A man must love his own before
the family of his neighbors:
·
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her. (Ephesians 5:25)
Love begins at home and then radiates out to those closest.
The same principle pertains to our neighbors, neighborhood, and even to our
nation.
Zelensky has illuminated this principle for the world to
see. Love sometimes requires heroism and even sacrifice.
Are there causes greater than our own lives? I think that
the heroic example of the Ukraine has given us a mighty and persuasive “yes.”
No comments:
Post a Comment