Enter the dragon’s lair: How Russian, North Korean alliance could have fairytale ending

OPINION:

“Once upon a time…” If you are a native English speaker, you know that phrase as it’s the beginning of almost every fairy tale.

Among these tales are classics like Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White which all share a similar narrative: a noble heroine trapped by a villain who isolates, deceives and tortures her while he (or she) tries to bend her will to his own. Her days are marked by an overwhelming sense of fear, loneliness and hopelessness.

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Fairy tales are far more than mere stories; they are repositories of timeless truths and cultural wisdom. Albert Einstein said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” He understood that these stories carry hidden truths and universal lessons about pain, fear, and the transformative power of facing our darkest moments.

Joseph Campbell, the renowned expert and author on mythology touched on one of the most profound teachings of fairy tales that he called, “the hero’s journey.”

Basically, the lesson is that the greatest treasure we seek is hidden in the cave we most fear entering. In other words, victory requires us to confront our fears, and to boldly step into the dragon’s lair which is of course the last place we would ever want to go.

This brings us to the present day, where we just witnessed President Vladimir Putin’s trip to North Korea to visit Kim Jong Un. Much like the villains read of in fairy tales, they spent much of their time trying to appear strong and in control, hoping to convey an aura of invincibility to deceive those they control or those who would attempt to rescue the heroines they hold captive.

But in Mr. Putin’s case, this façade is quickly crumbling, and we’re reminded of the fragility of such illusions.

Mr. Putin’s empire is experiencing incredible erosion both economically and militarily. While war is often perceived as merely a clash of arms, it is more fundamentally a test of economies. War is an insanely costly affair, and after observing the most recent financial news in Russia, I feel safe in saying that a certain maiden he holds in a high tower will soon be free.

As for North Korea, I have studied and researched the successive Kim regimes for over 20 years in my role as president of an organization that serves victims of religious persecution. And for me, the maiden he holds in the high tower is the hundred thousand-plus secret Christians he holds in concentration camps.

That maiden’s freedom may not be as imminent as Ukraine’s, but I am convinced that freedom is just over the horizon.

G.K. Chesterton once articulated a profound truth: “Fairy tales don’t tell children that dragons exist. Children already know they exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be beaten.”

The key to defeating the villain lies first in a rejection of the image they spend so much time crafting. It is to simply believe they can be overcome.

Then we must muster the courage to face our fears, to enter the dragon’s den, to do battle and rescue the maiden.

Then, at the end of our days, we can say we did something truly noble and valuable with the freedom and great wealth we were given.

And then we could lie down with the satisfaction that seemingly against all odds, we defeated the dragon, and created a happy ending for the many millions who could never believe they would escape his grasp.

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Jeff King has served as the President of International Christian Concern (persecution.org) since 2003 and is one of the world’s top experts on religious persecution. He has advocated for the persecuted everywhere, including small and large churches, the State Department, and the halls of Congress. Jeff has testified before the U.S. Congress on religious freedom. He has been interviewed by numerous leading media outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. He is the author of Islam Uncensored, Last Words of the Martyrs and a 30-day devotional The Whisper.