Story of Redemption Goes To Russia! - 5 Considerations for Reaching the Russian People with the Gospel

[James Nored]

In March, we went to Israel to complete the next stage of filming for the Story of Redemption, an evangelistic Bible study series that is being made into a film series. It is designed to tell the overall story of the Bible and help reach the next generation for Christ.

We had a fantastic trip, getting some incredible footage. God really brought this trip together with a great team, including our professional film crew with Clint Loveness and assistant Scott Tiner, and Tim Brinley, our safe and sure tour guide, Tim Brinley (see Tim's website, http://www.ccastravel.com/, for upcoming tours to Israel and the Holy Lands!). Tim has served as a missionary in Russia and Greece, and his knowledge of both Russian and Greek were very handy on the trip. (The first night in Israel I had to go to the ER for an ear infection, and Tim spoke to the staff in Russian, helping me get treatment.)

NEW from StoryofRedemption.com! - Easter Hope for Our Failure - Jes... from James Nored on Vimeo.

Little did I know other connections that were coming together. Several months ago Joel Petty, a missionary in Russia whom I have known from my days serving the preaching minister at the High Pointe Church of Christ in McKinney, Texas, contacted me about wanting to translate the Story of Redemption into Russian. I was certainly glad to see this happen, and Joel has been working with a translator on this translation, which has just been completed (and needs to now be typeset and published).

A couple of weeks ago, Joel told me that he was coming through DC, and so I offered to have him stay with us. About the same time, Tim contacted me to invite me to come out and preach and share about the Story of Redemption out at his church, the North County Church of Christ, where he serves as an elder. And as it turns out, the North County Church of Christ is one of Joel's supporting congregations! Then I discovered that one of the families that we are friends with at Fairfax who drive down from Pennsylvania used to serve as a campus minister at this same church back in the 1980s. Wow. Clearly God is at work, bringing people together to share the gospel!

So while Joel was here, we had a discussion about the gospel, the Story of Redemption, and how and why this study might be effective to share the gospel with Russians--as well as how it might be tweaked for a Russian version. Here is what we discussed.

1. Narrative in particular is a good format for sharing the gospel with the Russian people, for they have a strong literary history of teaching ethics and morals through literature and story. In fact, the written Russian language only emerged after the introduction of Christianity into the country. The Story of Redemption is, of course, primarily story-based or narrative in approach, so this is a good approach for sharing the gospel with Russians.
   
   However, this literary connection to Russian ethics and morals brings to mind the need to perhaps give some additional stories in the Story of Redemption that illustrates the "ethics" or "morals" of the Sermon on the Mount, for instance, to further resonate with this people.
2. Due to the "Soviet Experience," Russians are skeptical of direct attempts to "prove" one's position through "modern" style apologetics and approaches. The Soviets fed the Russian people all kinds of statistics and "evidence," and most of it was made up. So direct attempts to prove one's case by pointing towards external evidence, the authority of the Bible, and "evidence that demands a verdict"--Josh McDowell type of apologetics--is likely to be met with resistance. They would say, "The lady protesteth too much." If something is true, then that ought to be evident to all without the need to build an external case.
   
   This more postmodern approach (in this aspect) fits well with the Story of Redemption, for it seeks to primarily draw upon the power and truth of the biblical story itself--which, properly told, "rings true" to believers--and the powerful, "true" witness of a lived out gospel. It sounds like little adjustment needs to be made in this regard in the Russian version of the Story of Redemption.
3. "Sacrifice" is the primary aspect of the atonement (Christ's work on the cross) that most resonates with the Russian people. Russians have always been called to sacrifice, for "mother Russia," for their children, for the greater good, etc. (See "How Self-Sacrifice has Shaped the Russian Soul") Russians have faced starvation many times in their history, with mothers sometimes having to decide which child would live or die with only enough food to feed one. The Nazi three year seige and blockade of Linengrad was a particularly horrible instnance of facing starvation. In World War II, the US supplied greater weaponry, but Russians died by the millions--a staggering 26.2 million Russians dying for the cause.
   
   These Russian stories of sacrifice seem to uphold sacrifice that is done out of loyalty, love, or necessity. Thus, this would seem to indicate that the positive Russian view of sacrifice most closely matches "sacrificial love," rather "penal substitution." The concept of sacrificial love is definitely found in the Story of Redemption, but some additional emphasis of this could be done to make the Christian message even more resonant. Stories of sacrificial love, such as the sacrifice of Joel Rosenburg's wife for her children while in a Nazi concentration camp, would likely resonate with the Russian people. Themes of suffering would also fall into this resonant category.
4. "Restoring Community" is a bit more complicated as a resonate atonement theme for the Russian people. On the one hand, Russians have long had a sense of community that is normative. Russians sacrificed for the greater good of the community. Kids were sometimes raised more by the "community" (or the State) than by parents. Things such as shootings or individual acts of violence would be seen as what happens in the absence of community. 
   
   So community is a resonate theme more as the norm of what should be, rather than something that people are knowingly missing in their lives. Furthermore, the physical proximity that people have with one another in the crowded cities makes some feel like they need a bit of space. 
   
   So this theme can be retained in a Russian Story of Redemption, but it needs to be a bit redeemed as well. An authentic community that is voluntary, not forced, bound together by the sacrificial love of our heroic Savior, Jesus Christ, is what ought to be normative for the world and is the cure to the world's ills. If we in this Christ-centered community would all live lives of self-sacrifice for others in the community, the world would be a better place.
5. "Freedom from the Slavery of Sin" is an aspect of an atonement theme that is needed, whether known or not. Russian life is hard, from harsh winters, to poor economic conditions, to uncertain political times. The weather, depression, and lack of food at times has all led to a reliance on alcohol, resulting in high rates of alcoholism and death by alcohol. In fact, some 30 percent of Russian deaths in 2012 were attributed to alcohol--which is by far the highest rate among nations, and some ten times the rate of the US. 
   
   The Story of Redemption brings out the idea that Christ came not only to bring forgiveness from sins, but to free us from the slavery and addiction that sin brings into our lives. Whether or not this theme is initially resonate with the Russian people, it is a truth which needs to be shared.

I am excited about getting a Russian translation and version of the Story of Redemption out--along with Telgu, French, and Spanish--and hopefully Mandarin, Farsi, and a version for the hearing imparied as well. If you would like to know more about this work and ministry, including how to get involved and support it financially so that these resources can be developed and training in them can occur, please email me at James Nored at [e-mail].

For more information about the Story of Redemption, including FREE downloadable .pdfs of the study and links to the videos produced so far, go to www.StoryofRedemption.com

What else could be emphasized of the Christian message and story to help share the gospel effectively with the Russian people?