The peace talks between America and Russia continue to dominate headlines, with leaders in Europe and Ukraine increasingly wary of how they’ve been excluded from those discussions. While President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and even Russian President Vladimir Putin have all acknowledged that Ukraine will be part of the negotiations when they begin in earnest, that is not how much of the Western world has seen this week’s events.

It didn’t help that the conversations with Russia’s representation have already essentially acknowledged that Ukraine will likely not be able to join NATO and that Russia will keep much—if not all—of the land they have taken so far in the war. Couple those accessions with Trump’s recent rhetoric in which he called Ukrainian President Zelensky a dictator and implied that Ukraine bore responsibility for starting the war, and it’s not difficult to see why many are wary of America leading the push for peace.

After all, one of Trump’s most frequent claims throughout his campaign was that he would bring an end to the war in Ukraine and that he would do it quickly. While he’s already missed his first deadline of having an agreement in place before he took office, the goal remains to achieve peace as soon as possible.

Most would agree that it’s better for the war to end sooner rather than later, but America’s allies—Ukraine most of all—are wary of prioritizing speed over justice and a peace that lasts.

What is the Munich Agreement?

An increasingly common refrain among many in the West in the wake of this week’s conversations is that the negotiations are a repeat of the same mistakes that enabled Hitler during the buildup to World War II.

After absorbing Austria in March of 1938, Hitler began to covet Czechoslovakia and made plans to take the Sudetenland—a region of roughly three million people of German origin—next. As his aggression escalated, France and Britain, both of whom had pledged to protect the country in the aftermath of World War I, did not feel prepared for a full-scale war with the Nazis. Instead, they prioritized peace.

The result was the Munich Agreement, in which European leaders essentially allowed Hitler to absorb parts of Czechoslovakia in exchange for promises to leave the rest of Europe alone.

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned home to declare that he had achieved “peace with honor,” adding “I believe it is peace for our time.”

Winston Churchill famously retorted “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.” Churchill was proven right when Hitler proceeded to take the rest of Czechoslovakia the next year.

But while the parallels to America’s current conversations with Russia are easy to see, is Trump heading toward the same mistake? That question is a good bit more difficult to answer.

Living in reality

You see, the primary reason why the Munich Agreement failed to do more than provide a brief pause in the conflict that culminated in World War II is that France and Britain were not prepared to go to war with Germany. They needed peace more than the Nazis, even if that peace was not to last.

The situation in Ukraine is much the same: Ukraine needs peace more than Russia. The last three years have made clear that the most likely outcome of simply giving Ukraine more money and munitions is a slower pace of defeat. Victory is not a realistic option unless the US and its European allies are willing to take a more active role in the fighting.

So, as much as Ukraine may want to act like it is negotiating from a position of strength or should continue fighting until they are, that is never going to be the case in the current conflict.

As such, when Trump began his conversations with Russia by essentially ceding Ukraine’s ability to join NATO or reclaim all the land they’ve lost, he didn’t really give up anything that was within their power to keep.

Putin’s desires to maintain a buffer between his borders and those of NATO while also retaining control over the fertile lands of Eastern Ukraine have long been among his primary motivations for waging this war. He has little reason to come to the table if those are not part of the agreement.

The sanctions currently crippling the Russian economy, however, were notably absent from those early negotiations. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio implied they could be removed once peace was achieved, he also seemed to indicate that they would remain in place until that point.

Moreover, Trump recently declared that he is “all for” European peacekeepers in Ukraine after the war, calling such promises “a beautiful gesture” from France and Britain. The prospect of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil is particularly notable since Russia considers it an unacceptable condition for peace.

So, while it is certainly possible that any treaty with Russia will end like the Munich Agreement and simply delay a much larger conflict, it would be a mistake to presume that will be the case. There is still too much left undecided to know what the final agreement will look like.

What is clear is that there can be no peace unless everyone involved approaches the negotiations with a recognition of the fact that the West is not in a position to dictate the terms of that agreement. The only way to stop the bloodshed and wanton destruction that has already killed or injured nearly a million people is to recognize what is realistic to achieve.

As a culture not accustomed to losing in geopolitics and war, that is an understandably hard pill to swallow. Yet it remains the reality in which everyone involved must operate. And that need to accept reality applies to each of us as well.

Why “lies are the root of evil”

One of Satan’s most effective tactics is convincing people to trust the narrative they prefer to believe rather than the reality in which they live. If we claim to serve the God who is truth, then rejecting that truth in favor of a more palatable lie undermines the very foundation of who Christ has called us to be. And make no mistake, there are few things more detrimental to both our witness and our walk with God than living in a lie.

As Dennis Prager once warned, “Lies are the root of evil more than any other of the sins that we commit because people who believe lies don’t know that they’re doing evil. That’s why it’s so terrible.” He goes on to give examples from the holocaust and slavery to illustrate the principle that lies are a necessary prerequisite to the belief that it is permissible to commit such atrocities.

And while most of the lies we accept as truth will not have consequences so grave as those, each one that we believe takes us further away from the Lord.

So where have your beliefs diverged from reality? Are there any lies you’ve accepted as truth?

If so, today is a great day to confess them to the Lord and embrace his truth as the guiding light for every facet of your life.

Will you start now?

Quote of the day:

“Self-awareness is indispensable to seeing the lines between what you want to be true and what is actually true.” —Jonah Goldberg

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Why this matters and what it means for faith

As every schoolchild knows, there are eight planets in our solar system. (I was taught that Pluto was the ninth planet, but alas, it was reclassified as a “dwarf planet” in 2006 because it shares its orbital space with other large objects in its vicinity.)

Later this month, those of us on the third planet from the Sun can see the other seven in the night sky. Known as a “planetary alignment,” this is what happens when the planets align on the same side of the Sun. You can click here for a guide to seeing them; Uranus and Neptune will require a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.

This planetary alignment makes no practical difference to us since there is no significant gravitational force between the planets. Some hypothesize that planetary alignments might impact solar activity, but much more research is needed.

However, such alignments can be very practical for interplanetary spacecraft, which use the specific positioning of planets to perform gravity assists that slingshot them with a speed boost toward their final destination. Voyagers 1 and 2 took advantage of an alignment of the large planets, for example, with Voyager 2 getting boosts from Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Here’s the part of the story that interests me: while planetary alignments have no practical impact on our physical planet, they were highly significant for ancient cultures that tried to use them to forecast the future. Here we see the difference between astronomy (the scientific study of celestial objects) and astrology (a non-scientific belief system that uses celestial bodies to predict future events or personality traits).

People who read their horoscopes practice astrology. People who study the stars and planets using the scientific method practicice astronomy.

The chasm between the two suggests significant principles for faith in our post-Christian culture.

Walking the altar-lined streets of Ephesus

When Paul made his way to Athens as part of his second missionary journey, he had a right to expect highly reasoned conversations with some of the intellectual elites of his day. And in fact he encountered Epicurean and Stoic philosophers and “conversed” with them (Acts 17:18)—the Greek word means to dialogue, debate, ponder together.

But he also discovered that “the city was full of idols” (v. 16). In fact, he used their altar to “the unknown god” as a springboard to preach the gospel: “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you” (v. 23).

Why would such brilliant people be so susceptible to the mythologies and traditions of their polytheistic religion?

From Cain to today, humans have sought to use religion to leverage the blessing of God or the gods (cf. Genesis 4:4–7). This is an expression of our “will to power” that seeks to be our own god (Genesis 3:5). Paradoxically, we use God to replace him as god, engaging in transactional religious practices by which we do what he wants so he will do what we want.

We see this across the ancient Roman Empire. I have walked the streets of Ephesus lined with altars to the various gods of their day, witnessed vast temples in Corinth and Rome dedicated to the same purpose, and visited what we would call “pagan” temples across modern-day Turkey that were similarly transactional in nature.

Christians are by no means immune. When we begin the day with Bible study and prayer in the hope that God will then bless our day, when we pray to get what we want from the Lord, and when we serve him and donate to his causes so he will serve us, we are engaging in transactional religion.

Like astrologers of old and today, we are seeking power over our surroundings and our future. To predict the future through a horoscope is to gain a measure of control over it. To sacrifice to a God, known or unknown, as a means to our ends is to do the same.

“The greatest day that a Christian can ever experience”

The paradox is that the God who created the planets of our solar system and the rest of our vast universe is much more of a blessing to us in a transformational relationship than in a transactional religion. The best gift he can give us is the privilege of being a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) who manifests the character of Jesus (Romans 8:29) by demonstrating the “fruit” of his Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).

When we worship God because he loves us rather than so he will, we experience him in intimate ways that draw us closer to the people we are created to be. When we serve him because he has served us rather than so he will, we offer gratitude for grace that transforms us and those we influence.

The Creator who measures the entire universe with the palm of his hand (Isaiah 40:12) now holds his children in that same hand (John 10:29). The gift of all gifts is that he wants a personal relationship with us. Not because we deserve such mercy, but because he “is” love (1 John 4:8).

Then, one day, we will step from this fallen world filled with transactional religion and works-driven righteousness into a perfect world filled with transformational relationship and worship-driven joy. RC Sproul noted:

The day of one’s birth is a good day for the believer, but the day of death is the greatest day that a Christian can ever experience in this world, because that is the day he goes home, the day he walks across the threshold, the day he enters the Father’s house.

In the meantime, our calling is to embrace the grace of Christ and to share it with everyone we can. In Simply Good News: Why The Gospel Is News and What Makes It Good, the brilliant theologian NT Wright assures us:

Many people today assume that Christianity is one or more of these things—a religion, a moral system, a philosophy. In other words, they assume that Christianity is about advice. But it wasn’t and isn’t. Christianity is, simply, good news. It is the news that something has happened as a result of which the world is a different place.

How will this news make your “world” a “different place” today?

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Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will play Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl this summer. The musical is already offensive to many Christians as it suggests a romantic relationship between Christ and Mary Magdalene and puts Judas in a more sympathetic light than Scripture portrays.

Now our Savior will be played by a woman who came out as “queer” a few years ago. One fan called the decision for a female to play Christ “downright disrespectful,” adding that her opinion “has nothing to do with color, [it] has to do with the fact that the Son of God is a man.” The fan also stated, “If this was another religion, you would not do it out of respect.”

In news closer to home for me, the United Church of Christ Cathedral of Hope in Dallas hosted a service last Sunday dedicated to celebrating drag performers and transgender individuals. A “drag king”—a woman wearing a bedazzled beard and religious garments—was among the performers.

A “drag queen”—a man dressed to appear as a woman—performed at a fundraiser following the service. He proceeded to criticize Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a paraplegic, for approving conservative laws and recommended stopping him by taking away wheelchair ramps.

If Dallas is “the Buckle of the Bible belt,” the belt seems to be in disrepair.

People want hope from their leaders

One reason such stories are discouraging is that we’re not sure what, if anything, we can do in response. And we instinctually want answers to our questions and solutions for our problems.

This is because our culture rewards those who try harder and work longer, “refusing to take no for an answer” and striving for perfection. There’s even a name for this: the “Nirvana fallacy” assumes that all problems can be solved perfectly.

As a result, when we read frightening stories about a potential bird flu pandemic or asteroid strike, we keep reading to see if authorities have prepared vaccines or taken steps to keep the asteroid from killing us. When we learn that psychological distress among youth globally accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not surprised but we want to know what is being done in response.

It is basic human nature to seek hope in hard times. When Gallup asked people what they wanted from their leaders, they ranked “hope” far above all other responses.

So, where do we find the hope our hearts need today? The answer is not where many in our self-reliant culture are looking.

How to build an unshakable house

Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). Let’s consider each Greek word in turn:

• Disciple means “pupil, apprentice.”
• Not above means “not superior to.”
• His teacher refers to the master of his school, the instructor guiding the student.
• Everyone allows for no exceptions.
• When he is fully trained could be translated, “when he is thoroughly taught and qualified.”
• Will be like his teacher could be rendered, “will think, act, and live in the same manner as his teacher.”

As a result, our lives produce words and works that glorify God and bless others. Jesus promised: “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good . . . for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (v. 45).

In addition, our obedience prepares us to triumph amid the storms of life. Jesus stated that everyone who “hears my words and does them” is “like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against the house and could not shake it, because it had been well built” (vv. 47–48).

Conversely, “The one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (v. 49).

“You are much stronger than you think you are”

It only makes sense that people who emulate and are empowered by the perfect Son of an omnipotent Father would have the resources necessary to withstand the storms of life.

Paul Powell writes that after Martin Niemöller was imprisoned by the Nazis for three years in solitary confinement in Dachau, an interviewer asked him, “How could you stand it without losing your sanity?” Niemöller answered: “You can stand far more than you think you can. You are much stronger than you think you are . . . if God is dwelling in your life.”

This, in fact, is how we were designed by our Creator.

In Mere Christianity, CS Lewis explained:

God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human engine to run on himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

That is the key to history. Terrific energy is expended—civilizations are built up—excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us humans.

What “fuel” will your spirit “burn” today?

Quote for the day:

“Those who understand God’s sovereignty have joy even in the midst of suffering, a joy reflected on their very faces, for they see that their suffering is not without purpose.” —R. C. Sproul

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