John White - Developing Church Leadership in the Russian Speaking World c/o Eric Yodis, Postal Box 3644, Donetsk 83076, UKRAINE October 2001 jwhite@alumni.princeton.edu http://www.marucheck.net/jw/
My Russian language professor, Galina, has recently been teaching me how the modern Russian language was, in many aspects, founded by the poet Alexander Pushkin. He wrote poetry, children's stories, and novels in the early 1800's, making the Russian language more accessible to all the people. The passion that he wrote with continues to resonate within the Russian and Ukrainian soul today, especially in his poetry about love.
While I was trying to describe the Christian view of love as including commitment, another professor (Yelena) responded that love and marriage are two entirely different things. She said this wasn't just a saying, but a fact. She further said that the Russian view of love was one of sacrifice, where a person in love would continue to seek after even a horrible person. Pushkin himself believed that if a man loved a woman, it didn't matter if she loved him back, only that she was happy. He in fact wrote love poetry to many women over his lifetime, including some married ones. In his novel Eugene Onegin, he wrote from the hero's point-of-view,
"We all resemble more or less our Mother Eve: we're never falling for what's been given us to take; to his mysterious tree the snake is calling us, for ever calling- and once forbidden fruit is seen, no paradise can stay serene."
Pushkin's own life ended tragically in the same vein as his poetry. He married a woman whom he loved deeply, but didn't love him. She then responded favorably to the advances of another man, whom Pushkin challenged to a duel. Pushkin was fatally wounded in the duel at the age of 37.
And today people long for the romantic love that Pushkin wrote about, but it tragically remains out of reach. Marriage at a young age is common here, but separation and divorce seem just as common. As children often grow up without fathers, they have no model for a lasting love, and the pattern repeats itself.
But God came down as a man and reached out in love to us. The idea of a passionate and committed love like God's is very hard for many Ukrainians to believe in. Please pray that His love, that is within reach, would be displayed through me and His church in Ukraine.
Thank you for your prayers for my time of vacation in the States and safe return. It was good to get away for a while and see family and friends. I am sad to say that in the time that I spent with Carrie, God made it clear to both of us that it is best that we remain just friends and not continue to pursue a deeper relationship. We would definitely both appreciate your prayers as we seek to follow Him in this new direction.
The tragic events of terrorism in the U.S. have left me sad and in prayer for you there, too. Ukrainians here are very sympathetic and would want to tell you how sorry they are about what has happened. I honestly wonder what might happen between the time of this writing and when you receive it, but please know that I will be praying for God's mercy and for many to turn to Him for a hope and a love that are sure.
And in more mundane news, I returned to studying Russian at the University in September. I now have doubled the size of my class, studying with Tim Watson four days a week under Galina. Galina continues to show interest in the gospel and came to the Bible study at my house for the second time. Since returning from the States, I have also observed that my ability to understand Russian has notably improved (in everyday speech as well as in understanding sermons-though not at Bible study yet), so your prayers are definitely helping. Thanks for your prayers and partnership, which I continue to rejoice in (Philippians 1:3-6).
In prayer with you,
John