Grandpa told us the truth. You may ask why I believe my grandfather was correct. He knew the truth about the Communists. As I recall, he wanted to build a fallout shelter in our backyard in Alexandria. I’m not sure how far he got with it. Meanwhile, we had “duck and cover” drills at school every so often. We would hear an alarm and be instructed to climb under our desks and cover our heads with our hands. All of this was supposed to protect us from the threat of the “bomb” during the Cold War—a time when the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a tense struggle.
In America, some people went overboard in their efforts to keep Communism out of the United States. Others understood that the answer went much deeper than politics. Richard Wurmbrand, for example, knew that Jesus was the answer. He was tortured and imprisoned in Romania for fourteen years because of his faith.
Wurmbrand believed Soviet Communism was a fundamentally atheistic and oppressive system. In his 1966 testimony before the U.S. Senate, he described his experiences preaching to Russian soldiers and warned that Communist systems would ultimately become oppressive when Communists gained complete power.
Looking back, the defeat of Soviet Communism came about through many influences—economic decline, the prayers and persistence of free people, the witness of Christians like Wurmbrand, and many other forces working against that system.
And that brings me to today. Once again, we hear promises that the government can provide for everyone and that a peaceful, prosperous utopia can be created if only we put enough power in the right hands. But history reminds us to be cautious about such promises. Human government cannot create the perfect world we long for.
As Christians, we know that true peace and justice ultimately come from God. We are called to love our neighbors, care for one another, help those in need, and live responsibly—not simply look to government to solve every problem. Grandpa understood something important: freedom is precious, government has limits, and no earthly system can take the place of God.
Hebrews 13:3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
