Three years ago, the Russian Ukrainian invasion was only three weeks ago when Bach’s performance of St. Matthew’s passion took a new dimension to me.
I then wrote that the unjust suffering of millions of innocent Ukrainians and the parallels of false accusations, lies and unjust suffering given to Jesus would not be lost to a careful audience.
This week, one to 150 days after the war, another performance of Bach’s timeless oratorio calmed me anew with the unforgettable similarities of betrayal and suffering. Just as Jesus was betrayed by his close followers and handed over to unjust power, Ukraine faces attacks from neighbouring countries with deep historical connections, reflecting the sense of betrayal of his brothers. And it’s not just blood connections.
The high priests and religious leaders in the trial of Jesus have their modern counterparts.
For the bronze monument to Prince Volodymia, the great great overlooking the Dnipro flowing through Kiev reminds us of the birthplace of both Ukraine and Russian orthodox faiths. The high priests and religious leaders in the trial of Jesus have their modern counterparts. The Russian Orthodox patriarch expelled dozens of priests for his bold refusal to pray for peace and refuse to pray for officially mandated prayers, seeking Russia’s victory over Ukraine in the “Holy War.”
New (dis) order
This year, Ukrainians had to embrace an extra painful layer of betrayal from their former strongest allies. The new American administration is in a hurry to enforce a new world order through destruction, chaos and chaos. One name for this new (dis) command that “empathy is sin” is dark enlightenment.
Ukraine and other former Soviet countries seeking freedom from tyranny are now abandoned in a world of anti-egolitarian, anti-liberal and democraticism ruled by dictators seeking power. This world sculpture, which reflects the 1945 Yalta Conference, is executed under the cover of the so-called “peace negotiations.” America (including Canada and Greenland) goes to King Donald. Europe, East, West to the new Prince Vladimir. And the rest of Asia is from China.
This view must involve a separation of representative democracy, the rule of law, civil rights, public opinion, and power. It may be correct. Society should be governed like the world’s power that ruled Jesus’ trials and crucifixion, like the business where a powerful CEO is at the helm.
How can that palm-on-Sunday flock sway so easily?
“Barabbas!” cried the crowd. The similarities in the whimsicality of the Jerusalem crowds fixed me in my seat. Will the Sunday crowd on that palm would easily shake from religious leaders, select convicted criminals and demand the true crucifixion? How can millions of church enthusiasts be so shaky with religious and political leaders who tolerate the structure of lies, hatred and vengeance in the name of the “Jewish-Christian heritage”? “…There’s a cross around my neck, but Nietzsche said in my mind.”
Bach’s music of passion amplifies the anguish of an innocent man who portrays the pain of Christ not only physically but spiritually, just as he embraces the weight of the sin of others.
Similarly, Ukraine has been publicly and falsely accused of launching this war, but is burdened by the conflict driven by the geopolitical ambitions of others. The lamentation in Bach’s work resonates with the voices that Ukrainians lament the dead and pray for peace.
The thread of hope
But in the darkness, St. Matthew’s passion also has a thread of hope. Bach’s oratorio ends with Jesus’ burial. Unlike his disciples, he knows that it is not the end of the story. But each year we remain on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, reflecting on the suffering of Christ and the place of suffering in human life and God’s purpose.
still. We know that Sunday is coming.
We are witnessing the end of the era.
Meanwhile, we are in the middle of our Holy Saturday. It may last for a while. We are witnessing the end of the era. Democracy and liberalism, which were abandoned from the fundamental understanding of humanity, which has the image of God, failed. Lawless men are destroying social fabrics built for centuries. He is very rich, very capable, very proud, and currently holds a lever of many forces.
But their will, their purpose, and methods grated against the grains of the universe. They can’t build something that lasts forever. In the long run, pride, greed, deceit, hatred, ruthlessness, power cannot compete with the soft power of humility, justice, generosity, truth, mercy, love, and service, modeled by the Man on the Cross.
Because in the end he wins!
Originally published by Word every week. It was reissued with permission.
Jeff Fountain and his wife Romkie are initiators of the Schumann European Studies Center. They moved to Amsterdam in December 2017, where they lived in the Dutch countryside for over 40 years before working at the Ywam Heidebeek Training Centre. Romkje was the founder of Ywam in the Netherlands and chaired the national committee until 2013. Jeff was director of YWAM Europe for 20 years until 2009. Jeff chaired the annual hopes for Europe’s roundtables until 2015, and Romkie until recently served as the female chair of the Leadership Network. Jeff is the author of Living of Hope, deeply rooted titles and other titles, and writes Weekly Word, a weekly column on issues relating to Europe.
The weekly word is the initiative of the Schumann Center for European Studies. Jeff Fountain is a New Zealander with a Dutch passport and is currently the director of the European Studies Centre (www.schumancentre.eu) and lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Jeff earned a history degree from Auckland University (1972), worked as a journalist at the New Zealand Herald (1972-3), and worked as a travel director for the Third Student Christian Fellowship (TSCF) (1973). He has lived in the Netherlands since 1975 and traveled and spoke to almost every European country. For 20 years after the collapse of communism, he was a missionary youth who was the European Director of International and Denominational Mission Organizations. He chaired the international international sectarian movement, the European hope that organized two Pan-European Parliaments in Budapest in 2002 and 2011.
