On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan made his famous Berlin Wall Speech at the Brandenburg Gate. He shouted the words to the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mr. Gorbachev, tear this wall down! President Reagan had a disdain for communism. As he stood at the gateway between East and West Germany, he sent a powerful message of freedom to the world, especially to the families who lived under communist oppression in East Germany. At the time, President Reagan, nor anyone else, perceived that the Berlin Wall would topple two and one-half years later, signaling the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe and Russia.

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In his book Live Not By Lies: A Manual For Christian Dissidents, Rod Dreher shares the story of a Christian academic, Valdo Palko. One cold night Valdo left his home knowing that his mission could end in death. At the very least, he would have to endure the cannon-like water spewing from policemen’s hoses. His wife begged him not to go, but Valdo felt it was his duty to stand with other underground church members in a peaceful protest for religious freedom. His response to his wife’s pleas was that his dignity as a man depended on showing up to stand with fellow believers. Valdo later said I thought back then that communism would last for the next thousand years. The truth was, it did not. 

Dreher states that nearly all Western experts and academic scholars who had spent their careers studying Soviet communism failed to predict its rapid demise. Yet, while communism raged,  Christian dissidents faithfully prayed and held peaceful protests. Others did what they could to alleviate the suffering as much as possible.

In November 1971, I took my first of many trips into Eastern Europe to deliver Bibles, Sunday School material, food, and money to help relieve the pain of the communist imposed religious persecution and extreme poverty. On that first trip and many after that, the pastors thanked us profusely, and many wept when we left. The trips were always emotional. To witness first-hand poverty and persecution believers suffered under communist rule was heart rendering. At that time, no one we visited or the ones who made trips with me had any thought there would ever be an end to the oppressive rule brought on by communism. We truly believed that each of those pastors would be under oppressive governments forever. But they weren’t.

The free world rejoiced when on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down, and communism began to lose its heavy hand over the people of Eastern Europe and Russia. Believers were free.

Today, it looks as though the United States will be forever under the rule of communist leaning politically correct liberals. There is no relief in sight to stop those who teach hate and disrespect to our children, tearing down our republic with each school year. They mock those who openly express their faith in God. It appears this type of action will forever be in vogue. But that will not be the case. History is on our side. If we all do our part by speaking out, praying, helping, and living our lives out in truth, tyranny cannot live. It will have to succumb to God’s rule. It is those who remain steadfast in the face of tyranny who will see the hand of God bring down evil structures. Perhaps, we will see it happen in a day!

About the Author: Nancy Huff is an educator with a mission to equip believers to pray strategically for the Cultural Mountain of Education. She has authored Taking the Mountain of Education: A Strategic Prayer Guide to Transform America’s Schools. She leads prayer groups to pray at key educational locations across the US. Currently, Nancy serves as the Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network (HAPN) Lead Prayer Coordinator for the Mountain of Education. For additional information go to: https://takingthemountainofeducation.com/author/nancyahuff/ (Photo Credit: Getty Images.)

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