*By Ann Streit, Contributing Writer, CLW Founding Member
Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the communists labored to destroy the Church. They burned many church buildings, looted artifacts and arrested, beat and executed many of the church leaders.
But the heart yearns for truth and soon home-churches began to form, mostly led by families who wanted their children to be brought up in their faith. These faithful individuals were also subject to harassment, firing, arrest, torture and execution. And yet they persisted.
Teenagers who grew up in these home-churches had, at best, limited opportunity to interact with anyone outside their small congregation, which consisted mostly of family members and a few neighbors. They knew little, if anything, about the larger Kingdom of God or what was being done in other countries or even other home-churches.
In 1955, a small group of pastors decided to bring hundreds of these youth together for a conference in Moscow. To find out how much Biblical truth they knew, they divided them into three groups and asked them to write down as many passages from the four Gospels as they could, and to write down all the worship songs they knew. None of the attendees had ever owned a Bible or a hymnal. Astonishingly, in the period of one week, these young people were able to, from memory, completely recreate all of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with only six errors and they wrote down the lyrics from 1200 worship songs.
In the midst of horrific persecution over many decades, families made the decision to pass faith down to their children. Today, America’s youth is being subjected to false information, indoctrination and intimidation on an unimaginable scale – by government schools, the media, TV, movies, sports figures and corporate advertisements. The proud history of their nation is being erased, their faith is being denigrated, and their parents are denounced as ignorant, racist, homophobic and xenophobic. If they are white, they are told to be ashamed. If they are of color, they are told they are hated and oppressed. For years our children have been told to be terrified because climate change was going to destroy the planet. For the last year, they have been forced to wear a useless mask to protect themselves from a disease with a remarkably high survival rate. Any that questioned the mandates were science-deniers that wanted to kill grandma. Today’s children are even told to question their very identity.
Is there anything we can do? If, in the midst of horrific persecution, courageous families, without any theological training or even ownership of a Bible, were able to keep truth, faith and hope alive, we can do nothing less. The steps are simple:
- Learn as much as you can about your nation, civics, and faith. Create a library of valued books, including classic literature. Surround yourself with knowledge and model the value of knowledge to your children.
- Teach your children. If you can homeschool, do so. If you aren’t in a position to homeschool, talk to your children. Talk to them at dinnertime, on the way to school, driving to music lessons and when you tuck them in at night. Make your conversations count. Talk about your beliefs and why you believe the way you do.
- Find support for yourself. Join groups that will inspire, support and help you learn.
We are pleased to announce the beginning of the Heritage Club. It is an ongoing group that will meet the first Tuesday of every month, starting June 1, in Woodinville. We will be reading and discussing books, watching videos and exploring resources that strengthen our understanding of Western Civilization so we can pass it on to the next generation. Contact Ann to sign up and get details. If the dates or location aren’t convenient, Ann will be glad to work with you to facilitate a group in your area. annstreit@comcast.net
