A star is leading Russians to the manger this Christmas
Does the Star of Bethlehem still lead people to the Christ Child today?
As a frequent visitor to Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, I’ve seen time after time how a simple, paper Christmas star has melted hearts and brought joy and hope into the lives of Russian families – even those facing utter despair – through a unique outreach of Slavic Gospel Association called Immanuel’s Child.
In a remarkable way, God is using this very simple Star of Bethlehem ornament to connect people in America to families in Russia and the surrounding nations. It also delivers a Christmas message of real hope they’ve never heard before.
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The message printed on each star in Russian? “God loves you.”
Those three little words will lead thousands of Russian, Kazakh, Uzbek, and other families to the manger this Christmas — and the greatest love-gift ever, Jesus.
‘Someone in America is praying for me?’
I’ll never forget one particular Christmas in Russia with a group of American Christians. The local Russian pastor stopped at a busy shopping center and told our group: “We’re going to perform the Christmas story.”
Our “performance” was far from professional! I was an angel, acting while wrapped in a white shower curtain.
But the response was incredible.
As we gave out gifts, children’s Bibles, and paper stars to the moms and their children, I noticed a line forming. Every mom was clutching their Star of Bethlehem with the words “God loves you” and the name of someone in America printed on it. The local pastor was explaining to them that the person whose name was on the star was praying for them, even though they’d never met. This revelation — that a total stranger in America was praying for them — was overwhelming.
“What’s the name of the person in America who’s praying for me?” each wanted to know.
Over the years, I’ve been welcomed into homes across the former Soviet Union, from the Arctic Circle to the deserts of Central Asia, and frequently seen this paper star hanging in pride of place, often for years, never to be taken down.
It’s not about the gift as much as the giver.It’s a constant reminder that someone on the other side of the world in America is praying for them, a bond that cannot be broken.
As hundreds of local evangelical churches across the former Soviet Union reach out to their neighbors this Christmas, God is working in the lives of those who’ve lost hope: families facing the pandemic and severe hunger, widows, orphans, and those addicted to alcohol and drugs.
The light of the star
At one church in Russia, I had the privilege of sharing the Gospel. Some people who’d been drinking heavily were standing just outside, looking to disrupt the service.
But God had other plans.
One of them had been listening to the story of the greatest gift of Jesus and his forgiveness. She burst into the church, saying, “I can’t live like this anymore … I need that gift.” Some of her drinking companions tried to stop her, but the people in the church formed a human shield around her as she poured out her heart to God.
Russian Christians are even now going to orphanages, children’s homes, and door-to-door on foot — braving the pandemic and temperatures 40 below zero — to share the good news of Immanuel’s Child …“God with us.”
It all starts with a simple star, a star that says “God loves you.”
Will you share that simple, life-transforming message with someone this Christmas?
Eric Mock is Vice President of Ministry Operations at Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org), partnering with local churches across Russia and the former Soviet Union to share the Gospel and bring hope.
