A Holy Week Truce?

In times of turbulence, we can turn to the One who promises, according to Philippians 4, the peace that passes understanding. When we encounter inner turmoil, we can look to our Savior, who will produce peace in our hearts. Isaiah chapter 9 contains this passage:
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The Spirit of God will work in our hearts to bring us a sense of God's wonder, to counsel us, to give us strength, and to remind us that we have a Father who will love us forever.  Jesus is our Prince of Peace, and He wants us to experience peace with Him through entering into a relationship with Him through salvation, and to walk in that peace when we encounter tribulation.  He enables us to make things right with other people, as His love flows through us.

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Our Prince of Peace desires to bring a sense of His presence to the human conflict we experience. In Romans 12, we can read these words:
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I related to you last week that Franklin Graham, who leads the ministry of Samaritan's Purse that is working in Ukraine in light of the Russian invasion of that country, had written a letter to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asking for a two-week cease fire during the time period including the Christian commemoration of Holy Week.  A story published on the Ministry Watch website from Religion News Service quotes Franklin Graham:

“If they can stop fighting for a week or 10 days, maybe they can stop fighting for two weeks,” said Graham, speaking by phone from his home in North Carolina. “If they stop for two weeks maybe they can stop for a month. If they stop for a month, maybe they can stop for good. You’ve got to start somewhere.”

The piece relates that Graham recently spent two days in Ukraine and it says that Graham, "...said he was not confident he’d get a response from Putin but said he viewed the message as necessary." Franklin Graham plans to visit Ukraine again during Holy Week.

The article points out that: "Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday and concludes with Easter Sunday, begins April 10 on the Gregorian calendar observed among Western churches. Eastern Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar and celebrate Holy Week beginning on April 17. The vast majority of Russians and Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians."

Meanwhile, the work of ministry continues through Samaritan's Purse.  The article says that:

Earlier this month, Samaritan’s Purse set up an emergency field hospital in an underground parking garage in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. It has since expanded its work to include three medical clinics—two in Lviv, one at the train station and the other at a bus station, and a third in Chernivtsi in southwest Ukraine.

Another field hospital is in the process of getting up and running.  Religion News reports:

About 160 Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers are in Ukraine now, according to Graham. He said the organization has also distributed some 90 tons of food. Samaritan’s Purse has not partnered with any other relief organization, though it is aware of an Israeli field hospital, also in Lviv.

This request reminded me of an occurrence during World War I, when soldiers observed a truce for Christmas.  The History Channel website reports that in 1914, along the Western Front:

Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops fighting in World War I sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.

At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. Some Germans lit Christmas trees around their trenches, and there was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer.

This moment in history was commemorated in a feature film called Joyeux Noel, in a TV movie called, The Christmas Truce, and in a play entitled, All is Calm.  

We should always be aware of and dependent on the ability of the Prince of Peace to unite. We can pray for peace, pray for our enemies, and pray for God to be exalted.  His ultimate desire is for hostilities to cease and for us to live with understanding, even with those with whom we disagree.

Before the invasion, Franklin Graham tweeted out: "Pray for President Putin today. This may sound like a strange request, but we need to pray that God would work in his heart so that war could be avoided at all cost. May God give wisdom to the leaders involved in these talks & negotiations, as well as those advising them."  He drew criticism for that, but Nathan Skates, writing at the website of the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University pointed out that:

For those unfamiliar with the idea of praying for your enemies, it is a clear command in Scripture. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (NASB1995).

Furthermore, Graham wasn’t praying for Putin to have a great day (though that would also be biblical) and he certainly wasn’t asking for prayers that Putin would win on the global stage. He was calling for prayers that Putin wouldn’t take action that would lead to war and the subsequent loss of life.

The Bible is clear not only on the value of life but the need to be slow to go to war. Both Proverbs 20:18 and 24:6 advise that kings seek guidance before choosing to go to war. Jesus alludes to the truth that a king weighs his ability to win before going to war in Luke 14:31-32. The Bible also instructs us to avoid a conflict whenever possible, such as in Romans 12:18 where Christians are instructed to be at peace with all men.

We can also remember that in the crisis, God is working. This human conflict and adversity can have a God-honoring result.  We can certainly pray for needs to be met and for an end to the conflict. When we have conflict in our own lives, we can work toward a solution based on good communication and the expression of the love of Christ.