Victor and I are in the home of his Aunt Vera Kubik, his Father's brother's widow in Dubno rayon. The snow is melting, the roads are dangerous with ice and pools of water. Victor with Aunt Vera, Irina Krygina and myself walk the half mile to church. This is a modern cathedral, not yet painted inside, of vast proportions. The great central onion-shaped dome is surrounded by five smaller domes and is dramatic against the grey clouded sky. This is the church St. Pokrova built in honour of the Virgin Mary icon which protected the Cossacks in battle.

The 8.0 am service is in progress, the choir is a huddled group of about fifteen very ordinary looking people--women with scarves round their heads, and three men that one would not look at twice--until they opened their mouths and sang--there emerged a sound of perfect pitch, harmony, and depth of feeling which filled the whole church without any electronic aid. The dozens of candles flicker. The service of the Eastern Orthodox Church goes back to 1054 AD. Suddenly the deep resonant bass voice of the deacon cantor was heard with a riveting effect. Psalms were also being sung, the Bible was reverently paraded and the crescendo singing commanded the Law to be observed. The standing congregation kneeled before the Book. I discreetly recorded it all on the audio tape.

The whole of the inside of the great dome was painted with the face and hands of Jesus Christ, yet all that one saw was the eyes. When the eyes and mind of Jesus Christ focus on one, it is not a comfortable moment. I looked away.

Job did the same before God and realized that before God he was vile and he was the most righteous man that lived. We left and walked into the drizzle and greyness outside.

The church was made possible by the director of the sugar factor half a mile away, Bohdan Kirilkevich. From his elegant home he would see village children walk to school in the mud, so he had a 100 yard asphalt path put down for them. He deliberately kept his factory open throughout the year to provide work for the people. This is Matthew 15 in action. This is love.

The question as to whether there are Christians in other churches is irrelevant and judgmental. The pertinent question should be are there Christians in our Church of God? Most relevant of all, are you and I Christians? A Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit, hence the urgent question which used to be asked so many times, "Have you the Holy Spirit?" with the fist shaking the table. "Have you got it yet? Half of you have not," we heard. Or have we still not understood? God forbid.