Jesus and the Communist World
As most of you probably know (I didn’t, since I’m fairly new here and still learning), when VOM was founded by Richard Wurmbrand in 1967, it was called “Jesus to the Communist World.” I assumed, without much thought, the name and the mission came from Richard’s experience in Communist Romania.
This week I’ve been perusing VOM’s monthly newsletters from their first 10 years, back when it was ‘Jesus to the Communist World.’ What is now a glossy, 16-page newsletter that looks like a magazine used to be a simple, mimeographed, two-page letter from Richard. It was probably typed on a manual typewriter. There were few photos and as many words as possible packed on each page.
Two things stuck out to me as I read: the strong emphasis against communism, as well as the radical, counter-cultural foundations of this mission.
At first, the overt anti-communism message struck me as odd. Communism hasn’t crossed my radar much, other than as a fact in history class. I grew up in the tail end of the Cold War. I saw the fall of the wall in Berlin, the break-up of the Soviet Union and a period of relative world peace. Now, I see our world increasingly divided along religious lines, between Muslim and non-Muslim, between the “Christian” West and the non-Christian East. However, just 50 years ago, our world was divided ideologically: between communist-totalitarian regimes and non-communist democratic regimes.
In the United States, the 1940’s and 50’s were turbulent years, characterized by the McCarthy era and the ‘Red Scare,’ when people were concerned communism might reach the U.S. following World War II. During the 60’s and 70’s, this fear faded, in fact, it was tempered by liberal thought from university campuses and the entertainment industry. Certain influential voices praised communistic ideas as utopist, leading to a world where everyone owned common good and no man rose above another. They forgot the more sinister aspects of total government control and the elevation of atheism.
It was in this context Richard Wurmbrand waged his crusade against communism. He urged readers not to remain comfortable in their homes and jobs as Christians suffered world-wide. His call was not to go to church every Sunday or some other Christian platitude, nor was it the thought of some Christians suffering should cross our minds occasionally. Instead, we are to remember them in bonds. If you’ve read him or heard him speak, you know that he speaks of remembering as something that influences our every action. Everyone was urged to join this lifestyle of preaching Jesus, praying ceaselessly and fighting against the strict, cruel atheism of communism.
There is much more I could say about Richard’s example and his exhortations, but I want to leave you with one thought. Communism still exists. VOM still supports believers in five communist nations: China, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba and North Korea. Is it as hard for you as it is for me to really understand what it means to live under such a repressive form of government? It is even harder still for me to imagine how little these governments value their people, how carelessly they treat them.
It is good for me to pull back and think for a moment, that beyond the threat of Islamic fundamentalism, communism still exists. Believers still live in countries where their faith is illegal, not because it is not the faith of the majority, but because the leadership preaches there is no God to believe in, that Christ is a liar, that faith in what cannot be seen is utter stupidity. I hope you and I can understand a little more about what these people face, so our prayers can be that much more meaningful.