Ukraine’s Prayer for Freedom

I have had the privilege of traveling with one of our University’s International Studies classes this week. We are studying the Art and Culture of Spain. It has been a wonderful trip full of beauty and exploration so ably led by my colleagues.

And, yet, nearly everywhere we go, every museum or landmark, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the topic of quiet conversation.

Seeing the invasion of Ukraine through the eyes of those directly impacted by the occupation is a different experience for most Americans. Most of my students have no idea of what a “Cold War” is, and few were born before 9/11. They haven’t experienced an incursive war of this magnitude in their lifetime.

For the most part, throughout much of eastern Europe, the concept of freedom has been a growing experience since the early 1990s. The freedoms most Americans take for granted are relatively new experiences for many in eastern Europe, and the economic vitality that often accompanies freedom is a significant threat to totalitarian states like Russia.

One of our alums contracts directly with programmers in Ukraine for his business. Early on, his colleagues were hopeful. “Russia started the attack on Ukraine,” said Anastasia. “We are at home with our families, [and] believe the situation will stabilize soon. Please pray for Ukraine.”

That was on Day Two.

Another colleague, Yaroslav wrote: “We will either be freed by the army or someone will negotiate a safe passage for us. The post does not work, transport does not work, wireless payments are not accepted. It is so important that nations across the world rush swiftly these days to stop Putin and make him extract his troops from Ukraine.”

That was Day Three.

Another alum, a pastor in the Czech Republic, has written to share an update regarding his work with Ukrainian refugees. Today, over 2 million Ukrainians have fled their country: the largest human exodus in Europe since WWII. “Waiting lines are 20 miles long. [Like other countries], the Czech Republic has established waiting quarters for refugees until their papers are verified, after which they will be sent further into towns, churches, and families. Sad, sad times for everyone.”

By the time Russia has completed its aggression, over 10% of the Ukrainian population will have been displaced. Within weeks or months, an autonomous country, led by one of the few Jewish leaders in the world, will very likely be erased.

It is difficult to overstate how deeply threatened many Europeans feel about Russia. I first got a hint of this while in London four years ago as I observed the dozens of empty skyscrapers dotting the skyline which had been funded by laundered money from the Oligarchs.

Today, London is sometimes referred to as “Londongrad.” Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and Franco are still very much alive in the minds of European people. They know, first hand, the antithesis of freedom which is state-controlled submission. It is a condition imposed by elite bureaucrats; those that both make and enforce the rules. At its core, suppression, and not freedom, is the end result of socialist governance.

But there is another unsettling undercurrent to the conversations. There is a growing sense among many Europeans that America is a nation in decline and is no longer able to provide stability, particularly against a totalitarian regime like Russia. Based on what I have witnessed amongst our political leadership these last years; I understand their observations.

Even from afar, it is apparent that we are a country that has lost its way and its voice. Our political leadership has filled our minds with distractive prattle, while the core value we need to strengthen the foundation of our country—freedom—is consistently weakened by political agendas that do the equivalent of remodeling a home before the primary structure has been safely engineered. Let me give just one example of the phenomenon to which I am referring.

At a parent/teacher conference several years ago, I asked the teacher of one of my children why the first chapter of their high school American History class began with the Progressive movement of the 1920s and not with Plymouth Rock or the Declaration of Independence. After all, there was a lot that happened in America before 1920.

The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620. There was the War for Independence, the crafting of the Constitution, Louisiana Purchase, Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation, Industrial Revolution, and the settling (or unsettling) of the West, which resulted in the near decimation of Native Americans. And there’s more.

Understanding each of these chapters is important to engineering that metaphorical house. We did good things in those early, formative years. And we did awful, evil, and ugly things in those years. Both chapters make up our constructed home, and the striving for—or taking away of—freedom is critical to understanding who and what we are as a people. We must understand why we were compelled to seek out freedom, and why we were equally compelled to take it away.

So the reply to my question: “Why begin 11th grade American History with the Progressive Movement of the 1920s?”

Answer: “Because they got the other stuff in 8th grade.”

So there we have it. In our K-12 curriculum, we have accepted that an 8th grade understanding of American History is all that is required to form the next generation of citizens that is entrusted with protecting and safeguarding our freedom, and maybe even that of the world. That’s it.

Friends, that metaphorical house to which I’ve just alluded can’t be improved until the original structure has first been constructed on a solid, truthful foundation. That truth must include both the virtuous and horrific chapters of our history—a history that is about sacrificing for freedom and denying that freedom to others; the ones from whom we should learn best.

With any bit of honest self-reflection, we have hopefully learned by now that freedom benefits all of us, not just some of us; and that humans best thrive when we are—well—free.

That truth, rather than Hollywood movies or Air Jordan’s, is the great contribution of America to the world; at least that’s what the Ukrainians have experienced since their release from Soviet bondage over 30 years ago. And that’s why they are sacrificing all that they have in their underdog attempt to retain it. And it’s something that they are unwittingly teaching Americans about America if we are humble enough to receive it.

Say a prayer for Ukraine.