As human beings, we naturally want to remain positive, we need to, in order to keep our heads above the surface and avoid sinking into the darkness of the depths.
During All Saints' Day, we visit the graves of our departed and are filled with tears, but do we ever stop to consider that, before long, we ourselves will be lying there? Of course, death can arrive unbidden at any moment, through a traffic accident, a blood clot, or other causes, but that is the "unthinkable”. Let us, however, look at the reality of our existence, setting aside the blinders that obscure our vision, and imagine a mass-death befalling many of us. How? Well, consider how an endangered bear reacts: it attacks with full force, using everything it has. And which bear? The Russian one, naturally!
We tend to assume that NATO, and Article 5 will protect us. But can we be entirely sure of that, when standing at the very edge of the abyss, NATO would risk the annihilation of humanity to save our country? After all, the full might of the Russian bear, when backed into a final, desperate corner includes 5,400 nuclear bombs. Such a "final, desperate corner" is drawing ever closer in their war against Ukraine; and wars fought in states of desperation have a tendency to spread. Sooner or later, all of Europe becomes an obvious target. What do we do when bombs fall on our own heads, as is happening in Ukraine? The unthinkable is unfolding for real, on a massive scale, not just like in a movie or on television.
Stock up on canned goods and toilet paper (involuntary bowel movements become a common occurrence) and become a "prepper", focusing on self-sufficiency and crisis management. The Finns have a unique experience with war and crisis in relation to Russia. They managed to hold off "the Bear" primarily through two national traits or actions. One was "sisu", a form of fiercely or crazy stubborn endurance that led Stalin to abandon his invasion. The other was a religious awakening, during which the people flocked to churches to pray intensely. Even the president at the time, Risto Ryti, prayed publicly for the nation over the radio. And God answered those prayers, there were many miraculous interventions. For instance, near my home region of Pelkosenniemi in 1939, during the Winter War, it rained in the evening before a major Russian offensive (1,500 Finns with no armor against 20,000 Russians). That night, the temperature plummeted to below minus 30 degrees Celsius, causing the Russian equipment, including their armored vehicles, to freeze solid and become completely inoperable! This victory saved Finnish Lapland and, by extension, all of Finland. In Karelia, a Russian assault wave was advancing along a stretch of road; the lead driver had orders to sound his horn continuously if he encountered overwhelming Finnish resistance, a signal for the Russians to retreat. A sniper spotted the column, fired, and struck the driver in the forehead, the driver slumped forward onto the horn…Deep within Russian territory, a Finnish ranger unit, against all odds, managed to obtain intelligence regarding a massive offensive, complete with precise locations and timing. 250 Finnish artillery pieces were coordinated with split-second precision to strike the same sector, utterly shattering the assault, Finland was saved.
Stalin would have deported the vast majority of the Finnish population to Siberia, intending to repopulate Finland with Russians. It was, quite literally, a matter of survival. Two of my uncles and my wife’s grandmother were killed by the Russians. The threat from the Russian Bear is not a mere theory, it is a reality. And now, the public prayer of President Risto Ryti. Can we hope to hear our political leaders pray this prayer in a time of massive threat for the country and its people, publicly on television?:
“Heavenly Father, look with grace upon our people. You have created them, and You love them. You see that they are in the gravest danger. Therefore, we pray to You, Lord: Help us in our distress and do not let us perish. Grant us repentance from the paths of sin and lawlessness, paths that are leading our people to ruin. Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord Jesus Christ, without You, we are powerless against the destructive forces that are flooding our people and poisoning them. Therefore, we take pride in Your victory over the spiritual powers of evil, the effects of which we witness daily. Lord, You have defeated the powers of darkness. Raise up among our people a spirit of truth that leads to righteousness, and grant our people the faith to behold Your salvation.
Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon our people, upon their leaders, and upon our military, so that we may all stand firm in the hour of trial. Hear our prayer, good Heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen”.
Finally: Let us survive “the Unthinkable” through preparedness, “sisu” and a religious awakening.
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