It is sad to note that the fall of Communism has left many Russians in misery, while a few have profited handsomely from the new opportunities. We tell our students that the misery of many, alongside the ostentatious lifestyle of a few, is not the way it should be. Amid all the screaming billboards, ours is a simple message which is scarcely heard. Our students live in a moral vacuum. Our own experience in the classroom confirms this.
Students regularly cheat in examinations.
They see nothing wrong with extra-marital sex. They profess no attachment to values that motivated their parents or grandparents, nor do many identify themselves with the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the context in which we speak about the One who came to transform all of life. At Christmas it is good to remember that we are here because God loved the world enough to send his Son to save it. Christ was not ashamed to come and dwell among us.