John 15:13 was quoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a speech to a cheering crowd of 200,000 at the Moscow Luzhniki Stadium on Friday, March 18, 2022. It was at a celebration of the eighth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
After quoting the Scripture: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends,” Putin said of his soldiers: “Shoulder to shoulder, they help each other, support each other and when needed they shield each other from bullets with their bodies like brothers. Such unity we have not had for a long time.”
He did not quote the next verse in which Jesus says: “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14).
The program included a patriotic song, “Made in the USSR,” with the opening lines: “Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, it’s all my country.”
Putin quoted the Scripture about love after his troops had been raining fire and destruction on Ukrainian cities for 18 days, including hospitals, schools and buildings where civilians shelter. A Ukrainian in Belgium said that her parents no longer go to the shelters because they are being targeted.
The Kremlin describes Russia’s invasion as a “special military operation” rather than a “war”. In a sense, this is true because in a war, countries fight each other. In this case, Ukrainians are not targeting Russia, they are just defending themselves against Russian attack in Ukraine.
Small churches of Christ meet in cities throughout Ukraine. Many churches of Christ in Western Europe are offering hospitality to refugees from Ukraine. More than three million Ukrainians, mostly women and children, have fled the country for their safety during the last three weeks.
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