Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed!
There is one story I have heard as a child during the Easter Sunday sermon in our church (not sure, thou, if it is based on true events)
In 1930 N.I. Bukharin (communist and Russian member of the Politburo) took a journey from Moscow to Kiev to address a huge assembly about atheism. Addressing the crowd, he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity hurling insults, argument, and proof against it.
He talked and talked and talked and when he finally finished after an hour his speech, he looked out at what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men’s faith and asked demanding:
“Are there any questions?”
Deafening silence filled the auditorium but then one man approached the platform and mounted the lectern standing near the communist leader. He surveyed the crowd first to the left then to the right. Finally, he shouted the ancient greeting very known well in the Russian Orthodox Church:
“KHRISTOS VOSKRES!” (Christ is risen!)
And a crowd arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of thunder:
“VOISTINU VOSKRES!” (He is risen indeed!)