Chernobyl: Thirty years ago
The Chernobyl accident occurred thirty years ago – it seems like an eternity ago. In 1986, a series of steam explosions and fires occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. As the explosions destroyed the Chernobyl 4 reactor, deadly levels of radiation spread into surrounding areas. As the plant deteriorated there were several signs of the impending tragedy, but no one said a word. Lies, cover-ups, and the heroism of the “liquidators” surrounded the tragedy. Thousands of people died because someone was afraid to share the horrible news.
Opportunities for Evangelism after the Accident
I was serving in the army – the Soviet army – at the time, and one of my friends was being discharged just a month after the accident. He was a nice guy who grew up in a Belorussian village, 20 miles from the “zone of alienation”–the area that was evacuated because of high levels of radiation. I spent countless hours trying to convince my friend not to go back to his village. But his mom said that everything seemed to be okay when he spoke with her on the phone, so he decided to go home.
Once my friend left, I never heard from him again.
The Urgency of Evangelism
I get this helpless feeling when I try to share the Gospel with people and they smile and tell me that everything is okay. No need to worry. I think back to my friend who left without me telling him about Jesus Christ.
During those moments of desperation I remind myself that God is sovereign. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit to convict people, to show them how amazing Jesus is.
I also remind myself of the countless times people I had given up on ended up opening their hearts to Jesus eventually. They live with God now because someone continued to share God’s love with them despite their seeming indifference.
PS – That’s why I am in radio: collectively we never give up. We are there 24/7, and the Holy Spirit opens hearts around the world every day.
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