Tip of My Iceberg

He stood before us in his Ukrainian army uniform, sharing pictures of the men he had worked with, men who had died in the battles. He’d been at the front for three full years, a commitment he made because of his love for his country and his faith in Jesus.

It was the right thing to do.

He’d been injured. He’d left his family behind, a wife and three small children, which was hard on all five of them, for she had to stand in the gap as mother and father while he was away.

What struck me most about Roman’s time of sharing was the calm with which he spoke of a war that had gone on for over three years, a war of lopsided proportions. His attitude was one of confidence; the troops of Ukraine will stay the course, will not give up.

He showed pictures of places that had been completely destroyed, with no buildings left standing. His beloved country was reduced to rubble.

Being in America, hearing of so many wars going on for so long, it’s easy to become calloused to the pain and suffering of others. I see those men and women, standing on street corners, begging for money, many of whom are veterans. I have empathy for them; I know how those coming back from war are often seen as “less than” because they chose to fight for their country.

As I listened to Roman, his plight became clear. Over 14,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. The belief is the number of dead is much higher because those areas controlled by Russians have no statistics of those killed. Military casualties account for between 70,000 and 100,000, again because there are areas where discovering data is impossible. Satellite imagery shows the locations of mass graves where thousands of people have been dumped.

Russia hasn’t avoided the pain of loss. It’s estimated that at least 250,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in this war.

It’s easy for me to become angry about what’s happening. It feels like a stalemate, where the only thing changing is the increasing number of dead. It’s not hard to be critical and hateful.

War has existed from the beginning of time. When Cain killed Abel because of jealousy for his sacrifice being better accepted by God than Cain’s, there has been an attitude that death can settle differences better than communication.

Jesus upended all attitudes about dealing with enemies. In His famous Sermon on the Mount, He stated: “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” Matthew 5:43-45.

Love your enemies? Love those who have killed your friends and family? Love those who seem despicable in their evil?

That’s what Roman is doing. He wears the uniform of Ukraine, but he treats all people he meets with grace and forgiveness. Even the Russians.

Hate comes easily. We justify it because we feel wronged. But Jesus, as He hung on the cross for sins He didn’t commit, prayed that His Father would forgive all who had caused His death.

Because He chose to love us.

I have a new respect for those who fight our battles.

They’ve counted a cost I don’t believe I could pay.

Jesus? He paid it all.