The First Act of Love

On Wednesday, Michal Valco came from the Bible school in Martin, Slovakia to give a lecture entitled “The Purpose and Potential of Religious Education in the Renewal Process of Post-Communist Society.”  Michal began his lecture by settling himself on the edge of his desk, propping his feet up, and saying with little pre-amble, “The first act of love is careful listening.” He paused for a moment as we digested his statement. “As missionaries,” he told us, “if you want to love the Slovak people, you must listen carefully to where they come from.”

I’m not sure what I expected from a lecture about religious education and the renewal process of post-communist society – certainly not a lesson on love. Yet through his lecture, Michal helped us take our first step into a loving relationship with our Slovak brothers and sisters as he invited us to listen carefully to the history of the Slovak people.  

Michal shared with us four major historical struggles that have influenced the thinking and feeling of the Slovak people in the present day: the inequities between Catholics and Lutherans (16th – 18th century), the ethnic oppression of the Hungarian empire against the Slovaks (19th century), the atrocities against the Jews during WWII, and the era of totalitarian regime under the communist rule (1948-1989). I was fascinated by the discussion on all four of these series of events; however, what I most want to share with you is the struggle that the Slovak people experienced under communism and the ways in which this struggle has affected the Lutheran church in Slovakia.

As you know, communism is a Marxist critique of Hegel’s philosophy of law. It places the emphasis not on the value of the individual, but on what is deemed good for society as a whole. Communists sought to create the perfect society – one that was free from the evils of social classes. Theologically, we now recognize that the communists made a critical mistake in the assumption that the sin and short-comings of a particular society reside in its class structure. It is not in the structure of society that sin resides. All sin stems from original sin. An evil societal structure is merely a manifestation of that sin.  

Michal posited that atheism as we know it today stemmed from both communism and existentialism. As you can imagine, the ideas that “man is the highest essence” and that “man becomes what he is by his labor” distressed the Church. With communism, there was no room for an almighty God who intentionally and intimately creates and infinitely values each individual person. It is easy to see why Christians were against the revolution – and why communists despised the Church. For this reason, the communist quest was to replace the Church with the State.  

Within one month of the communist assumption of power, all pastors became state employees. Their salaries were – and still are – paid by the state. Throughout 1948 and into 1949, the state confiscated all church-owned buildings. The communist state trumpeted the following motto: “In order to make the church irrelevant to society, we must cut off its arms.” And so, the communists took over the social ministries of the church. Church-run children’s homes, nursing homes, hosptials, and schools were shut down. A pastor’s only legal function was to lead the liturgy on Sunday mornings. The communist hope was that the people would begin to think church was unnecessary because the state could provide everything for them.  

In 1950, the Greek Orthodox church in Slovakia was completely dissolved. Its members were either transferred to the Russian Orthodox church, tortured or murdered. Between 1968-1988, over seventy pastors of varying denominations were murdered. There are documented stories about parishioners coming to church on Sundays only to find their pastor dead, sitting in his own blood, and tied to his chair or the church altar.  

During the communist regime, people owned very little – only what was essential for survival. The state owned everything else. For this reason, the slogan “Unless you steal from the state, you are robbing your own family” became commonplace. Actions that would have been considered morally reprehensible were now deemed acceptable. This attitude has carried over into Slovak society today. Michal shared with us that if no one sees them, people are prone to take things to which they are not entitled.  

This year marks twenty years since the forty-year regime of Communism ended. Still, the fingerprints of communism are visible in Slovakia. Michal compared post-communist society to Israel’s grumblings in the desert upon escaping from slavery in Egypt. Just as the anxious Israelites asked God why he brought them out of Egypt, so some Slovaks wonder why God has led them out of communism and into this time of uncertainty. For some Slovak citizens, it is not yet natural to use political freedom. Many Slovaks have a weakened sense of personal responsibility and take less initiative because the communist government usurped all personal responsibility and individual initiative in its quest for control. The injustices of communism produced a culture of fear, distrust and suspicion. Even under a growing socialist democracy, Michal shared with us that the Slovak people live with an “uneasy hope.”  

The long-term consequences of Communism for the church have been severe. For the church, the sad heritage of communism can be “seen and felt in the overall loss of vision for the renewal and development of church communities.” For some Slovak Christians, “church” is still simply a place to go only on Sundays. Many people call church “a one-man show” meaning that the pastor does everything with little participation from the people. Church leadership is struggling with re-teaching Christian diakonia which servanthood in the name of Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they are training to change the mentality of the parishioners, to renew the church – and like most things, this takes time.  

The Lutheran church in Slovakia has made good strides towards once again becoming a visible and active component in society. Soon after the fall of communism, the Lutheran church began planning to re-open one of its church schools – a high school called the Lyceum in Bratislava. In order to draw students, the church brought in teachers from America to educate their students in the English language. After a struggle with getting supplies, a large enough student population and teachers, the Lyceum reopened in 1991. Since then, three other Lutheran schools have opened in Liptovsky Mukulas, in Kosice and in Tisovec, where I currently serve.  

The church schools are a way in which the church in Slovakia has re-claimed the arms that the communists have cut off. The Lutheran education system is truly a ministry and a witness with and to the Slovak people. Slowly but surely, the church’s reach is extending beyond worship on Sunday mornings.

I am thankful and proud to be part of such a vital and necessary ministry in the church. I pray my fellow teachers and I may serve faithfully in the name of Jesus – and that our service will inspire lives of service in the people around us. This summer, I have prayed that I would fall in love with the Slovak people. I pray now that I may demonstrate my love through the gift of careful listening to the stories and histories, and the hopes and dreams of the people around me.