Daily our hearts are assaulted by the atrocities of Vladimir Putin and his Russian military attacking Ukraine. At the same time, we are heartened by the courageous Ukrainian resistance and the galvanizing support from the non-autocratic world.
Sometimes I find it helpful to remember other situations of suffering and injustice which seemed intractable at one time, and yet justice prevailed.
In 1982 the apartheid system was firmly in place in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was in his 10th year of what would be 27 years in prison. P.K. Botha's National Party was firmly in control and heavily militarized. Bishop Desmond Tutu's passport had been seized the previous year. He had an invitation to speak to the Episcopal Church's General Convention in New Orleans, and I would be attending. The week before he was scheduled to speak, his passport was restored. Tutu thanked Vice President George H. W. Bush for making it possible for Tutu to attend. Bush, an Episcopalian, introduced the bishop to the convention.
In my mind's eye I can still see Bishop Tutu, a diminutive man whose energy filled the Saenger Theater. His electric smile dazzled and his contagious, high-pitched laughter charged the room. You just knew. This is a happy man. Yet, how could he be so?
Throwing his arms out, he charged us, "Pray for my friend P.W. Botha." There was a hesitant hum from the crowd. Botha was the symbol of apartheid oppression. "Yes, he is my friend, and you must pray for him. You see, he has already lost! He had chosen the losing side, and he doesn't even know it. For he fights against the angels and archangels. He hasn't got a chance. Pray for him!" And Tutu dissolved into wonderful laughter.
Evangelical leader Jim Wallis tells a later story from those days. Church leaders from South Africa issued a call for help, not unlike what Ukraine is doing right now. Wallis found a way to sneak into the country. The first day there was to be a political rally. The government canceled it. Archbishop Tutu said, "OK, we're just going to have church then."
St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town was full and a crowd gathered outside. Hundreds of police worked through the crowd and stood along the walls of the Cathedral, carefully recording everything the archbishop might say. Tutu stated with absolute conviction that the apartheid system cannot endure because it is evil. Pointing to the police standing along the walls he said, "You are powerful. You are very powerful, but you are not gods, and I serve a God who cannot be mocked." The he beamed with his amazing smile and cried out, "So, since you've already lost, since you've already lost, I invite you today to come and join the winning side!" The congregation erupted into cheers and began dancing, taking the dance into the streets. And the police moved back, surprised by this joyful power.
Desmond Tutu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are men of righteous power. They will stand tall in history forever. P.K. Botha melted away into irrelevance, a pitiful man whose cause was unjust. And Vladimir Putin will be remembered as a villain who led his nation into the shame of political and economic backwaters. He has already lost. He has chosen the losing side. By now, he may even know it.
But there is such suffering still remaining. How many will die before this ends? And the world holds its breath, praying that Putin will not unleash the apocalyptic potential of chemical and nuclear weapons in his desperation of a losing campaign. Even if his troops overrun Ukraine, the nation will one day reclaim its identity. And Russia will have to live with the stain of this act of injustice.
Once again we see the cost of arrogant, autocratic leadership. Truth is always the first victim. Toxic leadership is always accompanied by lies. Right now, Putin is doing everything he can to hide the truth from the Russian people. But lying always gets exposed, eventually.
In 1982 not many people could see the truth that Desmond Tutu could see. What appeared to be entrenched power unwilling to budge was actually a crumbling foundation. It could not endure.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). Desmond Tutu was filled with such strong, tough Spirit. So is Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Who are American leaders with such qualities of character? They are the ones who have already chosen the winning side.