I was not surprised to read news reports recently that Christians in Ukraine are being specifically targeted for attack. My heart is burdened for believers in Ukraine whose only hope, like all of us, in this war is their faith in Christ.
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Ukraine was one of the first of the former communist nations in Eastern Europe to enthusiastically embrace the Gospel. It has a much larger evangelical church presence compared to other places in the region – akin to what we say about the South in the U.S., “a church on every corner.” Similarly, Ukraine has a greater number of Christian television and radio programs than you might find elsewhere. In my experience, many Ukrainian political leaders were very open to discussing matters of faith, expressing appreciation for our efforts to share a biblical worldview in their nation.
Nearly 15 years ago, Eastern European Mission (EEM) was invited to distribute Bibles in Ukrainian public schools, where educators welcomed the teaching of biblical ethics as it led to improved student behavior and performance. We estimate that approximately 75% of the public schools in the nation have received Bibles and biblical literature from EEM. Now those very students are fighting for their country and are being targeted by both physical and spiritual forces.
As a result of Ukraine’s openness to the Gospel, many in the nation turned to Christ – so many, in fact, that Ukraine came to be known as something of the “Bible belt” of Eastern Europe. We even saw unprecedented unity among believers across multiple Christian faith traditions – Catholic, Orthodox, evangelical, non-denominational, etc. – all based around reading and studying the Bible to learn the good news of Jesus Christ.
We know from Scripture that such openness and unity will point others to Christ and grow the Kingdom. Is it a surprise then, that the devil would try to defeat this spiritual stronghold by any means and tactics necessary in order to frustrate the spread of the Gospel?
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We have seen this play out in what the people of Ukraine are continuing to endure – it is cruel and brutal. We must not forget their struggle. Even though it is no longer front-page news, the suffering continues, with more people – including children – dying every day.
However, the people of Ukraine are not giving up. It is that same spiritual presence this war seeks to snuff out that keeps them hopeful and resilient, despite the mounting losses and unending trauma. Ukrainians vehemently disagree with those who encourage them to make concessions in order to stop this war, since they understand the existential and spiritual nature of this struggle. Many surrounding nations continue to come to their aid, recognizing the important role Ukraine plays in the region.
When refugees fled Ukraine at the war’s outset, they took their faith and their Bibles with them, becoming even more of a Gospel influence throughout the region. Ukrainians understand, as Pavlo Unguryan, the executive secretary for the Ukrainian Evangelical Conservative Movement, said last week: “We fight not just for Ukrainian freedom, but for the whole of Europe and Baltic countries. We are on the border between light and darkness, between West and East, between civilization, which was created on Judeo-Christian values.”
It is painful that many U.S. Christians aren’t recognizing what’s at stake here, and are letting their internal politics get in the way of doing what’s right for our spiritual neighbor. Ukrainians need not only our prayers but also our financial and humanitarian support.
We were so touched recently by a young Irish girl who donated her pocket change to help Ukrainians in need through our humanitarian aid fund. She wrote: ”Dear Ukraine, I’m really sorry about the war. I’m from Limerick. I hope most of you survive. The money I give you is all of mine.”
Children understand there is good and there is evil. We don’t start to believe in shades of gray until we get older and are more influenced by the forces around us. We need to reclaim such clarity of our faith and a desire to do what’s right. As Isaiah 11:6 reminds us, when there comes a time that enemies will be at peace, “a little child shall lead them (NIV).”
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Bob Burckle is president of EEM (Eastern European Mission,) which has been delivering God’s Word to the people of Eastern Europe since 1961, now reaching 37 countries in 27 languages. It provided nearly 2 million Bibles and Bible-based materials free of charge in the region in 2023, including in public schools in several nations. Learn more at www.eem.org.
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