What's changed in 100 years?

This week the Russian Revolution catches our attention. 100 years ago on the 7^th and 8^th November, what was called the October Revolution sealed the uprising that had been fermenting through the year of 1917.

Lenin, with a group of exiled revolutionaries, had arrived the previous April at the Finland Station in St Petersburg in what was called a ‘sealed train’, shepherded across Europe under close German supervision. The train is on display at this station to this day. This dramatic arrival raised popular support which increased through the following months, until the Russian revolution fully matured through popular uprising.

Lenin’s Bolsheviks organised the armed forces and the Red Guards who, commanded by the Military Revolutionary Committee, took control of government buildings on 7 November 1917. The Winter Palace, seat of Provincial Government, was captured the following day. The rule of the aristocracy was over; the rule of the people had begun, in what became an era of communism.

A demonstration in Petrograd, July 1917.Revolution in the Air

That was 100 years ago this week. Memory of this revolution is prompting comparisons with what could turn out to be a new revolutionary fervour developing in our day.

Today there is a new phenomenon: the power of communication through the established news media has now been broadened and intensified through the internet and social media. The new weapons of revolution are the smart phone and the tablet.

How would Lenin have made use of today’s media channels to cultivate support for the communist cause? He would undoubtedly have exploited them with relish.

The social discontent that gave rise to communism can rise again. This time the ferment of discontent can be brought to the boil and turned for particular ends powerfully and rapidly through the global community of the internet.

The ferment of discontent can be brought to the boil and turned for particular ends powerfully and rapidly through the internet.

The Power to Raise Up, Tear Down

The power of the media has long been well-known. Selective reporting on TV and in the papers has had the powerful effect of cultivating mind-sets and worldviews for many years. So have the arts in the film industry.

But in just a few years we have seen the power of the communication media rise to an astonishing level. It is now even capable of raising up new leaders of the nations (e.g. playing a powerful part in the elections of the USA, France and the UK).

The freedom of the Press is a recognised right to defend in modern-day democracies, and for good reason, but this freedom nevertheless brings with it the potential for exploitation. Journalists can easily exploit the power it carries, knowing that politicians, economists, city institutions, the monarchy and even the Church needs to be careful of how they are presented to the public.

The media has the power to raise up and tear down – individuals, organisations, even governments.

Trial by Media

Notice that whatever the media chooses to highlight brings about swift results. Furthermore, irrespective of the rights and wrongs of individuals there can be no doubt that ‘trial by media’ plays its part in shaping the consequences of issues brought to the attention of the watching public.

The Westminster sex scandal is a recent example. We can only guess at the scale of the media’s contribution to Michael Fallon’s resignation as Defence Minister or the tragic suicide of Carl Sargeant, the Welsh Government Minister, but surely the clues indicate that it was significant, either directly or indirectly.

Whatever the media chooses to highlight brings about swift results.

What the media exposes becomes the issue of the day and forces rapid response. The media selects what the general population treats as the issue of importance, from one day to the next. To further emphasise the relevance of this, even this week we have heard of the tax avoidance schemes that, despite not being illegal, have drawn into suspicion the Queen and Prince Charles, among the wealthier of society. Our attention to the sex scandal was redirected to this within days, as if there is a war on to expose and bring down all in the public eye, particularly those in positions of authority.

Welsh Minister Carl Sargeant, who recently committed suicide. See Photo Credits.The point is not in the rights and wrongs, but to illustrate the power of the media. The issue that led to the resignation of Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary, was sparked by a BBC reporter.

One might ask if some of these issues are better discussed behind the scenes than in public, according to biblical principles of one-to-one reconciliation rather than in the public view. But what we are witnessing is a new media-influenced form of democracy that seems to grow stronger each day.

Added to the traditional news media, increasingly powerful is the use of social media to send waves of reaction through the communities of our nations, so that even fake news (declared the 2017 ‘word of the year’ by the Collins Dictionary) can prompt reaction as if it were true. Be sure that this is understood by those who need to cultivate popular support and sway public opinion, so that behind the scenes we have the potential for popular uprising that could be sparked intentionally or by default at any time.

Revolutions Can Happen

Remembrance of the Russian Revolution prompts us to realise that revolutions can and do happen. Add to this the general discontent that is so characteristic of our modern day and we can almost feel the potential for social uprising. It could happen - with increasing likelihood as the days go by.

Another thing we learn from the Russian Revolution is that what seems like a great and cleansing move with hope for the future at the time, turns out to be a disappointment as the years go by. This too would be the inevitable result of any social revolution in our day, save for a revolution of new faith in the Lord. And dashed hope could, more quickly than in previous revolutions, cultivate a tremendous backlash of social discontent in the future. We are in a vulnerable position.

With all revolutions, what seems like a great and cleansing move with hope for the future at the time turns out to be a disappointment as the years go by.

Yet, as Christians, we realise there is a higher, more perfect plan being outworked, whatever this current period of history sweeps in through the swirling tides of struggle for power and survival.

God is Working His Purpose Out

Personally, I have a little anecdote which illustrates to me how the work of God proceeds quietly, yet powerfully, despite the world’s revolutions.

When Lenin arrived on his train in St Petersburg 100 years ago, among those who fled the country was a certain man who came to the UK. His forefather had, many years before, opened the Gardner porcelain factory in Moscow and succeeded in business, producing porcelain that was sold to such as the Tsar - on a par with Royal Doulton in the UK. He was, therefore, a ‘White Russian’ about to be persecuted by the ‘Reds’.

On arrival in the UK, this descendant of the founder of the porcelain factory married a young girl from Wales. They had three daughters, one of whom I met in 1964. We have recently celebrated our golden wedding anniversary. But for Lenin, my family life would have been quite different. Our four children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren would not have been born, along with all the history that surrounds our little corner of the world.

I say “but for Lenin”, but I would rather say “but for God”. We may be in a world that is ripe for new revolutions, but in small (yet big) ways we will find God at work. As a popular hymn goes, “God is working His purpose out as year succeeds to year”. Paul put it this way:

I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

The Russian Revolution was used by God to bring me my wife. He is preparing a Bride for his son, Jesus, despite all the rebellion and revolutions of this world. We who know him must be careful not to be swayed by popular uprisings as they are cultivated by the media of our day, but to fix our eyes on Jesus, discern what he is doing, largely hidden from the world but given to us through the gift of discernment.