Russia (MNN) — Russia's
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has vowed
revenge on all guilty parties involved with Monday's bombing of the country's
busiest airport.
Other government leaders kept up the
bluster, ordering security services to root out the culprits behind the
attack. However, Sergey Rakhuba with Russian Ministries
says this is a familiar tune. "When the
authorities in Russia promise that they will protect them, they promise that
they will catch those who are responsible and will destroy them. But whatever
they say, things don't get safer for the public. That's why people have started
complaining. "
Rakhuba adds, "This
happened at the airport because the security system was not in place, so that
the terrorists were able to get a huge bomb into the largest airport in Russia."
More than the fear inspired by the
violence is the critical hit to the credibility of the government at a time
when security is a prominent concern. "That's
why the morale of the Russian people is going down, because they don't believe anymore
that the Russian authorities can protect them."
Rakhuba is referring to the nearly 10-year-old war waged by
insurgents out of the North Caucasus region. The situation seems to be
worsening, as President Dmitry Medvedev has described the instability in the
region as the single biggest internal threat to Russia.
A case in point: in 2010, the number of terrorist attacks in
the region doubled from the previous year. However, as of Tuesday, no one has claimed Monday's attack.
It has rattled nerves and may eventually impact travel
because of fear of another attack. However, travel is a necessary part of how
Russian Ministries gets work done. Rakhuba says they work by the grace of God. "I'm
so grateful that none of our workers were caught in that terror attack at
the airport. Just a few days before, our team went through the same place,
through the same spot, coming back from a mission trip to the Siberian region."
Their teams of pastors, next generation leaders, and many
others still have a calling to fulfill in sharing the hope of Christ. They're part of the society they're
ministering to, so they are not immune to the concerns generated by the
attack. Still, they are committed to hope. "We are so encouraged to see that evangelical
leaders are getting consolidated. They are developing plans regarding how they, with an
integrated larger plan, can reach out to the community, bringing them a message
of hope, a message of love, a message of comfort in Jesus Christ."
As the investigation continues, be praying for this
team. "Pray for safety, because every day,
it could happen with anybody. Russia,
today, is the risk zone. "
