A Scene in Russia under the Bolsheviks
“The scene depicted on our cover shows women of Moscow arriving outside an official food depot. They find confronting them the notices: ‘No bread,’ and ‘No bread will be distributed today.’ The latter does not mean that there will necessarily be food tomorrow. The notice does duty for several days on occasion. The Government seeks to cloak a breakdown of bread supply by explanations that the snow has prevented its arrival in the city, refusal to sell on the part of the peasant farmers being the real trouble. On the broken window is fixed a list of the amount of bread ‘obtainable’ each day at the depot according to the Moscow categories here set out. If these women are in the first category, they can obtain half a pound of bread; if in the second, they can obtain three-eighths; if in the third, only one-eighth of a pound.”
This pathetic picture must appeal to our hearts, and make, us pray for unhappy Russia: Tens of thousands there dying for want of bread. A Russian writer (Leonid Andreieff) says: ― “I turn (to Europe) with my dying prayer Save our Souls (S.O.S.). God knows how the help is needed. To know that for the dead there are not enough graves in Petrograd. In martyred Petrograd ... they barely believe, not only in man, but in God. It is hard to preserve life. It is almost happiness to be released from life.”
This is a picture of what is happening to millions today. No voice can speak for God publicly there now. God and Christ are blasphemed from one end of the Empire to the other. Oh! let us pray without ceasing not only for Russia, but for ourselves. Pray that God will send a mighty revival in our midst, and that His Word may have free course―may be distributed far and wide. Terrible as it is to hunger for the bread that perishes, what must soul-hunger be? We are responsible to help to meet the need of perishing souls. Governments must seek the bodily welfare of the nations, but every Christian in the world must carry the Bread of Life to those in need. ‘We must never say to those with soul-hunger, “No bread will be distributed today.” We cannot perhaps all preach, but we can all help to send Testaments to those without Christ. And the whole world needs Christ. Some know their need, others do not. We know they need the Saviour, therefore we must send them the Book that speaks of Him. Please read our last page.