Nation Building

For the past 15 years I have been involved in the USSR/Russia with Christian people who desperately want to be free. Part of this freedom is to develop a participatory democracy where people can speak openly and vote their consciences. It is a very difficult challenge.

Russia has never lived in such an open society. Few of its larger institutions promoted open discussions among its people so moving now from a brutal and callous dictatorship under the Communist regimes to free and open elections is taking some time. An article in the Wall Street Journal states:

Democracy, to use the old Millian phrase, is "government by discussion," and voting is only one part of a broader picture (an understanding that has, alas, received little recognition in post-intervention Iraq in the attempt to get straight to polling without the development of broad public reasoning and an independent civil society).

There can be no doubt at all that the modern concepts of democracy and of public reasoning have been very deeply influenced by European and American analyses and experiences over the last few centuries (including the contributions of such theorists of democracy as Marquis de Condorcet, Jefferson, Madison and Tocqueville). But to extrapolate backward from these comparatively recent experiences to construct a quintessential and long-run dichotomy between the West and non-West would be deeply misleading.

There is a long history of public reasoning across the world, and while it has gone through ups and downs everywhere, the sharp priority of liberal tolerance that has emerged in the West over the past three centuries reflects how social evolution can strengthen and consolidate one tendency to the exclusion--or near exclusion--of other tendencies. http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008132

Government by discussion requires local places where open discussions can take place; where people can argue and debate ideas. The Russian people are bright and well educated and they love to argue. Unfortunately, many of them resort to their fists in the midst of a debate because the fine art of political and or religious argumentation was lost under Stalin's boot.

It also requires individuals and families that are intact and sober enough to participate in church, labor and politics. My family had politics and religion for dessert every meal. We boys had to learn how to hold our own among very strong arguments from each other and if we did not hold our own the humiliation was great.

One of the major things we do in Russia is teach Christians how to assert themselves through small groups. They have strong rules about listening, respect and taking turns but they are also urged to present their cases in clear concise arguments. One local leader cried out that I was "mean" because I made them decide for themselves how to organize and lead the ministry.

I am also mean because I insist that sobriety is better than hiding in alcohol. Both are progressing nicely.

For 70 years the government made all decisions for these people but now they must think, hear God and provide for themselves. It is hard work but no other process can build Russia into a friendly, open, democratic nation who will allow God's Spirit to move.

I return to Russia in late May-early June to train leaders from around the country. Keep us in your prayers.

Gary Sweeten