How did we get to the point where one political leader chooses to take over another country against the will of the people of that country and the rest of the world must look on? We have seen this before and it has led to war on a large scale. We have seen it in Europe, we have seen it in Vietnam, we have seen it in Afghanistan. We have seen it is Syria. We have seen it again in Europe. As military conflict rages in Ukraine, perhaps it is time to once again listen to the words of one wiser than ourselves.
I am not speaking of the wisdom of Wendell Berry, although he is wise, but one who is wiser still. In one of Berry’s novels, we read of Troy Chatham, no he is not the wise one either, but he is the primary antagonist of the novel entitled Jayber Crow, published in 2000. The novel recounts the entire life of the barber, Jayber Crow, who spent much of his life in the small fictional town of Port William, Kentucky. The barber shop, like most real-life barber shops of the world, is the place where local news, exaggerated stories, and town gossip is disseminated. It reminds me of the barber shop in Delburne, Alberta where most of the farmers of the surrounding district got their haircut, played pool, and talked at length, near the farm where I grew up. None in that shop was very wise either, but that did not prevent them from sharing much information. It was the equivalent of contemporary social media, and the veracity of the stories were just as unpredictable. One of the stories told within Jayber Crow is that of the day that Troy Chatham spouted his opinions about the Vietnam conflict. Troy, supporting those who supported war and opposed to the war protesters who were beginning to make a stir, is waiting his turn for a haircut in Jayber’s waiting area when Berry gives us an insight into the conversation and the thoughts of Jayber. Troy speaks of the war protestors and says,
“‘They ought to round up every one of them sons of bitches and put them right in front of the damned communists, and then whoever killed who, it would be all to the good.’
There was a little pause after that. Nobody wanted to try to top it. . . .
It was hard to do, but I quit cutting hair and looked at Troy. I said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.”
Troy jerked his head up and widened his eyes at me. “Where did you get that crap?”
I said, “Jesus Christ.”
And Troy said, “Oh.”
It would have been a great moment in the history of Christianity, except that I did not love Troy.”
There is the challenge. Can we love like Jesus? Can we love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to those that hate us? Those are wise words and strong challenges to those of us who follow Jesus. What do those words mean amid a global conflict? What do those words mean as we consider the Ukrainian people? As we consider the Russian people? As we consider Vladimir Putin? What do they mean as we consider a neighbour like Troy Chatham?
Christianity only works if we do what the Christ called us to do. But how do we put aside our broken, sinful desires, our hatred, our pain for those suffering from the evil that others do? These are not easy questions to answer, but they must be asked. The answers will not be the immediate gut-reactions we so desire to give. The answers will be in keeping with the answers of the Christ. Jesus showed us how to love those who hurt us. He showed us the way of great love. He also showed us the way of great suffering. In fact, it is because he loved people so much that he was willing to show great suffering. Do we desire to see Putin’s armies lined up in front of the Ukrainian people and see what will happen? Do we desire to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to those who hate us? Can we follow Christ even if everyone else around us does not? I was taught a song in Sunday School called “I have Decided.” Some of the words went like this,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
No turning back, no turning back.
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
No turning back, no turning back.
It sounded so simple then. Yes, though none go with me, still I will follow, no turning back, I have decided to follow Jesus. Where to now Lord? I have nowhere else to go. What is my next step oh Lord? No turning back now. No turning back.