Jesus loves Putin

As Russia’s invasion continues, Christians around the world are praying for Ukraine. It is easy to pray for the success of Ukraine, safety of its citizens, and for an end to the war. It is easy to pray for the victims of the bombings in Ukraine, the refugees fleeing their homes, and those who are suffering because of President Vladimir Putin’s order to invade Ukraine. However, I find there is a significantly smaller number of Christians praying for President Putin. I have been praying for Putin, as well as Ukraine, since the beginning of the invasion. I find it crucial to pray for Putin. Why? Jesus Christ loves Putin just as He loves you and me. He died for Putin on the cross of Calvary just like He did for Christians.

We, as Christians, should seek the salvation of every soul. If we are to seek the salvation of every soul, we should be praying for the conversion of Vladimir Putin. We should pray for his heart to be softened and for the Holy Spirit to convict his heart and for him to respond to that conviction. We should pray fervently for him to become a follower of the God who loves him enough to die for him.

St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing, you will heap burning coals upon his head.’ Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.” (Romans 12:20-21)

If the Apostle Paul urges Christians to feed their enemy and give them drink when they are thirsty, how much more should we be praying for their soul? St. Paul was following the example and teachings of Jesus when he wrote those words. Paul spoke about taking physical measures, such as feeding and giving drink to enemies, as showing love to their enemies. Jesus lays this out even clearer in Matthew’s gospel when He is speaking.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes the sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

One might want to believe that these words are speaking about people who do things directly to us. It is easier to believe that we are to only pray for those who hurt us or to try and love those who hurt us, as difficult as that is even if it directly impacts us, but St. Paul would say that what is happening in Ukraine is, in fact, happening to all of us.

“For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another.” (Romans 12:4-5)

St. Paul reminds us that we are all one body. We are one body in Christ. What happens to our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world does, in fact, happen to us because we are one body. As a result, the teachings of Jesus do apply to us and we are told by Jesus to love our enemies. The enemy of Ukraine is our enemy. Putin is, indeed, a fierce and persecuting enemy of Ukraine. Therefore, he is our enemy, and we are told to pray for him and to show the love of Christ to him. You or I may never stand before Putin in person, but to pray for his salvation is to love him. It is to be Jesus to those who do not know Jesus. It is to be the hands and feet of Christ to those that Christ loves and died for on Calvary.

If we truly believe John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life,” then we must believe that Jesus loves Putin and desires for his repentance so that he may have eternal life. If we profess and believe that Jesus died and rose from the grave in order to give sinners like us eternal life, then we must believe that he did the same for Putin. If we know the Lord has the power to change our lives, then we must believe that same Lord has the power to change Putin’s heart and life.

The only difference is you and I may have accepted that gift and Putin has not, based on his actions. It may be hard to pray for Putin, who is behind such horrible atrocities and evils being committed right now, but it is indeed what we are called to do because Christ expects us to be different.

“The man who cries out against evil men, but does not pray for them will never know the grace of God,” said St. Silouan the Athonite.

If you want to truly be what Christ has called you to be, pray for your enemies. If you truly want to make a difference, pray for your enemies. If you truly want to change the circumstances around you, love your enemies in prayer. If you want to change the world, pray for your enemies.

“Love of one’s enemy constitutes the nucleus of the ‘Christian revolution’. Here is the newness of the Gospel which silently changes the world!” said Pope Benedict XVI.

Imagine how marvelous God may work if we began to pray for Putin, for his conversion, and pray for his military leaders and their conversion. We have all seen miracles happening in Ukraine which, I believe, are the response to the world praying for the country. Imagine the miracles God would do if the world started praying just as hard for Putin’s conversion and for his soul as we have been praying for Ukraine. The pope’s consecration of Russia and Ukraine is important and powerful, but we too have a part to play in changing the world. Let’s start with praying for those for which we may not want to pray.