I have spent a lot of time in Ukraine since my first visit in 2009. I’ve taught a week-long intensive class at the Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary every other year. UETS is on the outskirts of Kyiv, along one of the train lines into the city.
I’ve also visited Dnipro, a city in eastern Ukraine, to work alongside Veronika Voloshyna. She is a former student of mine at UETS who then was in the 2015 TCTT in Ukraine. Back in her home city she has become an amazing community leader in mediation. She and I co-facilitated workshops during three of my trips there, along with Sharon Buttry in 2019, our last visit. We also did conflict transformation workshops back in Kyiv. Veronika is one of our Global Peace Warriors (click here for more information about her; click here for one of her blogs).
I put together this slideshow from Sharon’s and my 2019 trip to Ukraine with deliberately jarring and relevant music. Hopefully it will help you feel the agony and be moved a bit more toward prayer and assistance.
There is a great need for immediate assistance to help those in the war zone (the whole country!) as well those who are displace and who have fled as refugees. Many agencies are providing help. We work a lot through International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches through which Sharon and I served for many years in our peacemaking work. Click here to go to their special page for One Great Hour of Sharing to give to Ukraine relief.
The horrific violence of the invasion is filling the news right now, but even when a military occupation is quickly achieved that doesn’t mean the invading power has won. People can resist nonviolently over a long time, making governing them impossible. They don’t always win, but almost always they have better success than the military options. I think Putin has no capacity to calculate the Ukrainian people’s ability to resist nonviolently. They are veterans of two major mostly nonviolent movements that overthrew governments going against the will of the people (toward Russia!). The Maidan resistance was massive involving over a million protesters for months. Putin may win the military battles, but this is not how you make friends. His forceful invasion reminds Ukrainians of Stalin and the enforced famine that killed around 3 million Ukrainians. If I was a betting man, I’d bet that Ukraine will be far more problematic than Putin ever imagined just from the strength, courage, and creativity of the Ukrainian people.
You can watch the trailer for the NETFLIX documentary “Winter on Fire” about the 2013-2014 Maidan revolution. It will give some context for both Putin’s action and his likely gross underestimation of the Ukrainian people. It also highlights the interfaith dimensions of the revolution with Christians, Muslims, and Jews standing together for a free Ukraine. It puts the lie to Putin’s line that he is “de-Nazifying” Ukraine. We highly recommend this film.
We pray for peace and justice. Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
Peace,
Dan
Dear Dan,
Thank you for this post. My heart has been so troubled, This post (shared by Patti Fraser) helped me to know that the cause for Peace has a strong, longstanding footing for the Ukraine in these difficult days. I thank you all for your ministries over the years for building of PEACE. We know the LORD hears our prayers, and so we continue to cry out to Him for these people! Bless you all! Peace for Ukraine!
Dan, you and those who work with you are true “Peace Warriors”. We thank you for your service and love for all humanity.