Letters From Grandpa #129

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 129

Dearest grandchild,

Even though the U.S.S.R. has collapsed, Communism still has influence all over the world. I think there are still five nations that are officially communist. This includes China, N. Korea, Laos, Vietnam, and Cuba. While these nations may be classified as communist, the percentage of people who are actually members of the communist party is quite small.

The inefficiency of communism is legendary. Capitalistic South Korea, for example, has a GDP over 36 times that of communist North Korea. In 2013 S. Korea’s trade volume was $1.07 trillion, while in N. Korea it was a mere $7.3 billion. When I was a boy the Russian farms were so inefficient that their people were starving and had to buy wheat from the U.S.A. Comedian Bob Hope visited Russia in those days and quipped - “I hope the whole world doesn’t go communist”. When asked “why”, he answered, “where would we buy wheat?” He also joked about that Moscow was a nice place to visit except that Kruschev always had “the car”. Someone else observed that if the communists captured the Sahara Desert they would have to start importing sand in three years. Having been to both China and Cuba I have seen the inefficiency of communism first hand.

Today’s letter, however, is religious not political. Vladimir Lenin was a principal force in establishing communism. Jesus Christ is the principal force in establishing Christianity. Please consider the dramatic difference between the two. Vladimir Illich Lenin is dead. Jesus is alive!

Lenin was born in Simbirsk, Russia, on 10th April, 1870. This infamous communist “hero” was responsible for the death of many millions. Jesus, by contrast, shed no blood but His own. Lenin imposed his tyrannical regime upon society by erasing politics, erasing history, and erasing all opposition. He came to power in 1917 and died only a few years later on January 21, 1924. After his death the negative influence of his teaching has continued to be a curse in the world. Jesus, by contrast, brings happiness and joy wherever His teachings are accepted.

Lenin’s successor, Joseph Stalin, wanted to “immortalize” his fallen hero. The task of “immortalizing” this “mortal” man fell to biochemist Boris Zbarsky and anatomist Vladimir Vorobiov. They worked night and day for four months to accomplish the task. His dead body has been on display in Moscow since that time and has been described as looking like “waxed fruit”. The contrast between Christ, a living Savior, and Lenin, a dead “savior” is immediately obvious. Christ ever lives to save us, and the Russians ever live to save Lenin. Here are some of the things that the Russians have done to “save” their “savior”.

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They Installed an electric pump inside of his body to try and maintain a constant humidity. #

They sealed him in a glass sarcophagus to try and control temperature and humidity. #

They bathe him regularly with a mild bleach solution to combat fungus.

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His skin has to be closely examined each week and measured for moisture, and color. #

Every 18 months his body is taken to a laboratory beneath the mausoleum, undressed, examined, and immersed in preserving chemicals.

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Every night a hydraulic lift lowers his body into the ground.

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Special light is used to give Lenin’s face a “warm glow”.

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Llya Zbarsky, the son of Boris who was one of the original embalmers, worked on Lenin’s body from 1934 - 1952. When a mysterious black spot appeared on Lenin’s right cheek Zbarsky feared that he would be executed for permitting such a blemish.

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Both Boris and Llya Zbarsky were arrested without warning by Stalin in 1952 and accused of being German spies. The older man was imprisoned, his son placed under house arrest. #

During W.W. II Lenin’s body had to be removed from display and hidden to protect it from German bombs. In March 1945 this “mighty” Russian Savior was back on display. #

The cost of protecting and preserving Lenin is approximately $1,500,000 each year. #

Hardly anyone comes to see him anymore. The guards say that what few there are, invariably turn out to be tourists.

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These days the honor guards are dressed in 1812 era uniforms.

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TIME magazine (Oct. 17, 2005) quotes one policeman on guard as saying he has not personally been interested enough to go inside to see Lenin since 1998.

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71 year old Denisov-Nikolsky, however, feels privileged to care for the body of Lenin: “Not every expert” he says, “is allowed to restore such treasured historical objects, like a Raphael or a Rembrandt”. He also admitted, however, that he never talks to or sings to Lenin’s corpse.

Christians, by contrast, talk to and sing about Jesus all the time. We only had to worry about embalming his body with spices for a short time, for the morning after the Sabbath He was gone from the tomb. Because He is alive it is not necessary to micro manage His Body. It’s just the other way around. In stead of taking care of Jesus, He is taking care of us. His Body was sown in dishonor and raised in glory, sown in weakness and raised in power, sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body. The ignoble seed is not worthy to be compared with the towering tree or fragrant flower. Jesus said it like this: “I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) HOW BEAUTIFUL! JESUS IS ALIVE FOREVERMORE! And “. . . because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:24-25)

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce