Putin vs. Jesus

Dear CoaH,

Putin’s miscalculated invasion into Ukraine threw the whole world in disarray. It is hard to believe that in the 21st century, we are witnessing a sovereign nation being invaded by another. The reality is that one man’s evil scheme has resulted in so much damage and tragic outcome. Putin’s merciless behavior is deeply disturbing. And the fact that the people of Russia somehow allowed him to acquire that much power is a hard pill to swallow. Two weeks of the constant bombing at the command of Putin drove close to three million Ukrainians from their country. The number of refugees continues to rise.

How can one person be given so much power and authority, even to the point where the dictator can push the nuclear button at will? No one in Russia can stop him. One expert says that Putin sits on the three-legged stool, comprised of the financial back up from his oligarchs, the military backing from his generals, and the political support from his cronies. I think the people of Russia will look back in years to come and ask themselves, ‘how did we allow this man to have so much power over us? Have we not learned enough from World War II and what Hitler did to us?’ The hard fact is that the Russian society allowed Putin to rise to absolute power, despite the lessons from history.

In the Bible, we come across an opposite kind of leadership. While Putin has all the economic, military, and political powers available to him, Jesus had none. Jesus said that the son of man had no place to lay his head. Jesus’ leadership was not one of dominance, but service, not one of power, but humility. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross as a sin offering for others. What happened to him? He seemed weak and defenseless, yet he overcame death and rose from the dead. Jesus showed the world what servant leadership is. If Putin could learn even a fraction of what Jesus displayed, things would be very different.

Let’s get the facts straight. Let us remember the way of Jesus. Jesus did have authority and power, much more than what Putin has. But Jesus did not use his authority and power to bomb innocent people and drive them from their homes. Instead, he used authority and power to drive out demons and heal the sick. Jesus came to serve people, not to rule over them. That is how we are to live.

May the LORD bless you and keep you safe.

Pastor Minho Song