Lent celebrates Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to strengthen his life witness. At the end of his sojourn he is tempted by the devil. Nicolai Berdyaev is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to strengthen his life witness. He is tempted by the devil that is the Russian Revolution. Activists like Berdyaev were hopeful about the new rulers promised changes. Activists sought freedom from the old rulers’ political domination and miserable capitalism, “The whole economic system of Capitalism is an offshoot of a devouring and overwhelming lust.” As often happens, for example currently in the U.S., too many promises were made by men who were not trustworthy. Too many people believed men whose characters were vicious and whose dealings were corrupt. Thus, the new rulers forced upon the people the same political domination and misery producing capitalist policies. In the context of Russia, Nicolai valued the ideas of Marx that were used by but also abused by the new rulers. Marx had critically examined the truth about the real-world material problems caused by capitalism. But Marx’ ‘dialectical materialism’ did not value Jesus ‘dialogical spiritualism.’ Disappointed in the revolution, Berdyaev lovingly examined the truth about the real-world spiritual mystery that creates communion. Berdyaev was not naïve. He knew humanity’s virtues enabling communion were hindered by humanity’s tendency to commit sins. He also knew, “It is nothing but a hypocritical fallacy when conservative bourgeois Christianity argues that to transfigure and improve human society and introduce greater justice into it is impossible, because of the sinfulness of human nature.” Berdyaev refused to live under the intentionally sinful social forces of rulers like the Czar, Marx, Lenin, et al, as if that is all humanity should expect. Humanity can create a new world, a new society flowing with love as expressed by the peacemaker Jesus. “The creation of the world is not only a process which moves from God to humanity. God demands newness from humanity; God awaits the works of human freedom.” “Utopias are much more capable of being carried out than has been so far believed.” We common people already have our revolution, Jesus’ peaceful one that gives all common people our freedom. We already have our utopia, Jesus’ Community of God that gives all common people our peaceful mission. Today’s Gospel about Lazarus teaches Berdyaev and us that there are forces that put us in the grave. We learn too in Jesus’ raising of Lazarus, that there is a power that lifts us into life. Berdyaev centered himself on Jesus’ resurrecting power as a personal and social dynamic throughout his life. It put him at odds with rulers. He was arrested and jailed various times and eventually expelled from Russia. He lived in exile in Germany but was then targeted by Germany’s Weimar Republic and left for France. In exile there, he continued his writings and dialogical engagements. Upon the German army’s occupation of France he was interrogated routinely by the Nazis but survived the war dying shortly afterward.
Prayer: “I see myself immersed in the depths of human existence and standing in the face of the ineffable mystery of the world and of all that is… yet there is hidden in some still greater depth a mysterious, transcendent meaning.”
Question: How does my Spirit live as a very real flow of love in this world?
March 22, 2026 Gospel John 11:1-45 Fifth Sunday of Lent