How can we get to the reality of life in Russia, when news channels just repeat what the leadership orders or allows?
We are all aware, of course, that there is a war going on between Russia and Ukraine. Russia staged an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022; and news of events as they unfold have been presented on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and online channels.
We know something about Ukraine, but what do we know about events inside Russia itself? People are aware that Vladimir Putin rules with almost absolute power. He controls the government, the armed forces, and the security organisations. The police and the FSB (just like the Soviet Union’s KGB before them) control almost every aspect of society. Faced with this situation, how can we get to the reality of life in Russia, when news channels just repeat what the leadership orders or allows?
I invite you to look at the Silicon Curtain video below. This particular interview with a Russian expat living in Uzbekistan uncovers some of the internal difficulties currently faced by the Russian people and their government.
Silicon Curtain provides interviews that go deeper than most Western news sources, investigating topics that are not always available by other means. The channel is run by Jonathan Fink who lives in Oxford and read Russian Studies at Edinburgh University. If you find this interview informative and interesting, take a look at the other videos on the Silicon Curtain channel.
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.
We consider priorities expressed by three church personalities and ask, ‘What is the most important objective for the church? What will most please Papa? What is the Spirit urging? How does Jesus want us to respond?’
A polychotomy?
Shattered glass
We are being tugged in many directions in our lives as believers, we have become a polychotomy. The word literally means ‘many cut apart’. The church looks like shattered glass; oneness turned into shards. There are voices telling us to believe the right things, say the right things, do the right things. Let’s take a look at some of them and ask ourselves the question, ‘What is the greatest priority?’
An article by Sam Hailes (no longer available) started me thinking about this. Sam interviewed Peter Farmer from Nottingham, Tony Goddard from Peterborough, and Beresford Job from Chigwell. These three men have different ideas on the main priority – mission and multiplication (Peter), making an impact and caring (Tony), following Biblical principles (Beresford). If we cast the net wider we will find many more groups with other insights and emphases. Every denomination and group has its own ideas about what is most important.
So who is right?
To answer this question we need to turn to the Bible. But where should we look?
Guidance from the Source
I suggest that the most important and fundamental guidance will come from carefully hearing what Jesus said. In particular, his prayer just before his arrest must be the best of all sources for what is essential.
Think about it for a moment. Yahshua knows that his whole life has brought him to this place of sacrifice. The burden upon him is enormous, his heart is heavy and he cries out to the Father. Surely what he asks at this moment will be the most important thing of all. So what does he say?
In John 17; Yahshua prays for his disciples, and there is much here that we need to take on board. But then he prays explicitly for you and me. And this is what he asks. Read it carefully – this is Jesus praying for you!
My prayer is not for [my disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. ‘Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. (John 17:20-26)
He wants us to be one, united, not split apart. The Messiah himself prays to the Father that we may be one ‘just as you are in me and I am in you’. He wants us all to be ‘in us’ (the Father and the Son) so that the world may believe the Father has sent the Son.
More than that, Jesus has given us (you and me) the glory that the Father gave him. What?! Read that again. He’s given you and me his glory! Why? So that we may be one. Then the world will know.
And he prays that we may be where he is and see his glory.
There’s just no escaping this fundamental truth, that when the chips are down Jesus prays his heart out to his Father and asks that we may be one so that the world may believe.
What is the most striking thing about the church in our day? What does the world see when it looks at church? It sees multiple organisations, church is divided into myriad groups and denominations, often seeming to point to different things as being the most important. We are a broken, shattered people and the heart of Christ is broken when he sees us in this state. His heart is for us to be one just as he and the Father are one. And he wants to include us in their oneness and community.
Peter Farmer is not wrong about mutiplication and mission. Tony Goddard is not wrong about making an impact and caring for people. And Beresford Job is not wrong about following Biblical principles. But those are not the main things.
Becoming and remaining one
Above all, we now need to learn to be one. We need to accept we have differences, learn from one another. There is no single right belief, right speech, or right action. His children all shine with the light of his presence. If we are to be part of the answer to his prayer we need to learn from one another and grow together in love, building one another up, encouraging one another, helping one another to focus on every good thing. We need to grow up into Christ. Paul understood this well, see what he wrote to the Ephesian church.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:1-6 and 11:16)
I am not suggesting that anyone is wrong, or that some are more right than others. I am simply observing that we remain shattered and that we are not yet perfectly formed into the one bride for whom Christ died and will return. Let us all strive to forge fresh bonds of peace. Paul called the Ephesians to keep the unity of the Spirit. Today we need to do more than that, we need to regain the unity of the Spirit.
Addendum
The above is a repost, only slightly changed, of an article I wrote way back in 2012. After 12 years, I think it’s worth repeating. If church has any purpose, any value, it springs from Jesus’ prayer for you and for me. Will I let him place the little fragment that I am into a shared oneness with my brothers and sisters? Will you? Last night I was privileged to be part of a Small Group meeting with friends in one of our homes – and this oneness, and sharing, and presence of the Spirit of Christ, and care for one another and the wider world was tangible amongst us. That is so refreshing, so encouraging, so good!
Notes from bygone years – Some more Januarys Hint: Click on the thumbnails for larger images.
January 2023 (1 year before publishing this article)
Flooding from the Churn
The River Churn burst its banks, most of the inundation was restricted to the flood plain, but some properties suffered a bit of damage. We were OK as we live on a hill, but anywhere down in the flood plain and most of central Cirencester is quite low lying.
Towards the end of the month I developed shingles. Although I had a rash on my left shoulder and upper chest, I had no discomfort with it other than a very slight itch. Eventually it faded away gradually and with no drama, and I’ve now been vaccinated.
In January 2022 I looked around the Abbey Nursery where there still remains some evidence of John Jefferies & Son, the old family business. It’s now a small park and wildlife reserve – City Bank Park. The concrete surface and the block built bins for sand, gravel and other materials can still be seen in the photo. Tidy up and sweep away the leaves and it would look much as it did when I was a child and the site was still in use producing the town’s supply of Christmas trees.
JHM: I wrote about three objects in the evening sky, not all of them easy to see. – World events: The number of COVID cases worldwide passed 300 million and more than 10 billion doses of vaccine had been given.
In January 2019 it was the end of the road for Bennett’s Garage in Victoria Road, Cirencester. Dad always filled his car at Bennett’s as John Jefferies & Son had an account here. I once borrowed a ladder from Brian Bennett when I locked myself out of Churnside. The business continues at another site, but Victoria Road will never seem quite the same.
JHM: I posted a video of the Earth rising over the Moon. – World events: The Orthodox Church of Ukraine was granted independence from the Russian Orthodox Church.
In January 2014 Paul and Vanessa visited us and we drove over to Cambridge and spent part of the day there, enjoying the sights and the bustle of the crowds. Cambridge has such a great atmosphere and energy! However, we got caught in a torrential downpour waiting for the Park and Ride bus to get home.
JHM: I posted about meeting Gerald who was in his wheelchair all alone in the middle of Huntingdon. – World events:Latvia adopted the Euro, the 18th member of the Eurozone.
In January 2009 Meredith took delivery of a new cooker. We drove up to York for New Year so the Christmas presents arrived a week late; it’s almost like having Christmas twice! We always look forward to our winter trip to York.
JHM: I wrote about the journey and how we know the way. – World events: The cryptocurrency Bitcoin was created.
We visited my Mum and Dad in Cirencester for New Year; this was about two years before Mum died, though of course we didn’t know that. Treasure people while you can! Mum always laid a fine spread on the table and you can see some of it in the photo.
I made some progress with WebForum, an information website for Unilever‘s research labs around the globe; there were two of these in the UK, one in the Netherlands, and another in the USA. I think by this time the software had been rolled out to all sites except for the Netherlands where they decided to create their own version. Attention was turning instead to Y2K testing.
World events: The new Euro currency was introduced on 1st January.
Dan visited us and we looked at some of the sights in Bristol, including the Observatory up at Clifton near the famous Suspension Bridge, and later the Industrial Museum down in the docks area. The photo shows Dan, Beth and Judy in the museum.
World events: The Northridge Earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles on 17th. Parts of a raised freeway collapsed and 60 or 70 people died.
We had a quieter New Year’s Day after a fairly full-on Christmas the previous month. Debbie and Beth played draughts while half-watching ‘Neighbours’ on TV.
World events: The European Single Market was created; and Czechoslovakia divided itself into independent nations, the Czech Republic (later Czechia) and Slovakia.
We were living at 22 Rectory Drive in Yatton, between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare. Debbie was nine at the time, and Beth was six. Judy might already have been teaching biology at Cotham Grammar School by this time and would have started a new term. I was working at Long Ashton Research Station.
World events: The Apple Macintosh went on sale in the USA, and President Reagan announced that a space station would be developed.
My Mum sent this postcard 0n 17th January to her mother (my Granny-in-Ireland) in the village of Coagh. She wrote, ‘We went to the theatre with Ruth and Martin, her boyfriend, and his parents. It was fun walking round Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square with all the lights on. Ruth sends her love to you both.
World events: The USA severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
Judy and I were living in our flat at 20 Belmont Road in St Andrews, Bristol. She was newly trained as a teacher, I was completing research towards my MSc thesis. The photo shows a view of Berkeley Square and the Wills Memorial Building (part of Bristol University) beyond it, taken from the top of nearby Brandon Hill. Comet Kohoutek was visible in the evening skies and we managed to spot it from the bay window in our flat.
World events: The F-16 fighter flew for the first time, and sextuplets were born in Cape Town with all surviving.
I began the second term of my third year at Bath University, Judy returned to Aberystwyth to continue her second year there. This was, as always, an unwelcome time of separation; but as compensation our engagement was announced in the Gloucestershire Echo. (It’s very tiny, click the image to enlarge it and you still might not see it at first.)
World events:The Beatles played live for the last time, and Richard Nixon was sworn in as President of the USA.
I was living at Churnside (37 Victoria Road) in Cirencester, with my Mum and Dad and three sisters. I was in the Fifth Form (now Year 11) at Cirencester Grammar School and just starting the second term in January.
World events: The US Government reported that smoking might be a health risk, and plans to build the World Trade Center in New York were announced.
I was 10½ years old at the end of January, and in my final year of Junior School. This was the year in which we would take our eleven-plus exams; the results decided which of us would go to the Grammar School, and which to the Secondary Modern; so the emphasis in this final year was partly to familiarise us with the style of questions typical of the eleven-plus. (Today these schools are combined.)
World events: The Soviet spacecreft, Luna 1, was the first to break free of Earth orbit, and Alaska was admitted as the 49th American state.
This was my second term at Querns School in Cirencester. It was a far happier experience for me than starting my first term: I knew my way around, I’d made some friends, and I had a good idea what to expect from my teacher, Mrs Hourihane; also I was more confident of spending time without Mum and Dad. I was 5½-years-old and I probably felt quite grown up! My teacher was a budding author as well!
I was 6 months old at the end of the month and we were living at Granny and Grandpa’s house (Churnside, 37 Victoria Road). I think Grandpa liked having a baby in the house again, apparently Mum found it difficult to get me back sometimes! Dad was by far their youngest child (his youngest brother, Bob, was 15 years older). Mum and Dad were on the list for a council house at the Beeches Estate, but those houses were still being built.
World events: Communist forces entered Beijing, in the USA Harry Truman was sworn in as President.
Dad was now driving my grandfather’s Wolseley on errands to the nurseries and managed to reach the amazing speed of 50 mph on 5th January. His ATC uniform arrived and he had opportunities to use the Link Trainer at South Cerney Airfield as well as examine some aircraft. He passed his Morse test at the end of January.
World events: The Allies landed at Anzio in Italy and a British vessel was sunk there by an early German guided missile.
Together, all these engines produce 75.9 MN of thrust, much more than Saturn 5’s 34.5 MN.
The first question you might want answered as you read this title will be, ‘What on Earth is a ‘Mach diamond’?’ I’m glad you asked.
If you’re interested in rockets and spaceflight you may already know. Where there are rocket engines, there will be Mach diamonds (also known as ‘shock diamonds’). They are formed by the high velocity of the gases leaving a powerful jet or rocket engine. The shock waves created by this process interact with the ambient air around the nozzle, sculpting the exhaust into angled zones. When seen from the side, these appear as a repeated diamond pattern.
The largest rocket ever built is SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster designed to lift Starship to a high altitude on the first part of its journey to orbital velocity. This booster is powered by 33 Raptor engines clustered closely together; they behave rather like a single engine with a 9 m diameter nozzle. When the rocket flew for the second time in 2023, giant Mach diamonds appeared, 9 m across and 6 m in length. These truly are the world’s biggest Mach diamonds ever – by a very considerable margin.
This view shows all 33 Raptors firing shortly after liftoff on the 2nd flight test (IFT-2). Each engine bell has a diameter of 1.3 m and the rocket itself has a diameter of 9 m. Together, all these engines produce 75.9 MN of thrust, much more than Saturn 5’s 34.5 MN.
Here’s an image of the IFT-2 vehicle shortly after launch. The first Mach diamond is very sharply defined, subsequent diamonds less so as the exhaust plume slows, cools and becomes more ragged. Four can be clearly identified with some hints of a fifth and sixth.
So what is happening here? How are the diamonds generated?
Because a rocket engine is all about producing thrust, the velocity of the exhaust is paramount. Rocket engines are designed to maximise velocity and in doing so they minimise pressure. Inside the combustion chamber, pressures are extremely high; but the bell shape of a rocket nozzle expands the gases and directs them downwards. The pressure inside the exiting plume is much lower than the ambient air pressure. This pressure difference ‘squeezes’ the plume and prevents it spreading out sideways.
Higher in the atmosphere, air pressure is lower and the mach diamonds vanish; as atmospheric pressure drops away towards the vacuum of space, the exhaust plume spreads out sideways more and more because the exhaust gas is now at a higher pressure than the diminishing, surrounding air. Notice how the spacing of the diamonds decreases with distance from the rocket. This is because the exhaust velocity is falling off as the plume interacts and mixes with the air around it.
That’s the essence of the process in everyday language. Check the links below if you want more technical detail.
Journeys of Heart and Mind 
