The Soviets, like the Nazi Party, did not ban Christianity outright. They didn’t attempt to make enemies of the Christians in the countries they occupied. Instead, they both chose a slow and deliberate hijacking of the faith, to not only gain the favor of the people they had power over, but to make questioning this power akin to blasphemy. Christianity was never banned; it was rebranded. And as a result, the ways of Jesus were outlawed, and it happened slowly and subtly.

It is important to consider that borders do not come from God; they are man-made constructs. They are nothing less than the result of humanities struggle to get along. In short, borders are the direct result of our seemingly inability to love one another. If we acknowledge then that borders are the result of our own sinful nature then perhaps we might not cling to them so tightly.

The story of St. Telemachus shows us something different. That when we practice what Jesus taught and put ourselves in the gap to preach true peace, then change can actually take place. Even if we suffer or never see it for ourselves.

America has become a people more eager to unite against an enemy than to unite around God. We know how to identify threats, expose corruption, denounce error, defend our tribe, and sharpen our outrage. We know how to speak with fire about what is wrong with the world. But too often we have forgotten how to burn with the love of God. Too often we have mistaken suspicion for discernment, hostility for holiness, and public anger for spiritual courage.