The Russian invasion in Ukraine that sparked on Thursday last week has placed the Ukrainian church in the midst of a dangerous conflict. Christian leaders in the country now have to contend with the despair and uncertainty that comes with the sudden and unprovoked war declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now, Ukrainians are turning to the Bible for solace during these trying times.
In an op-ed by American Bible Society president and CEO Robert L. Briggs for Christianity Today, the Christian leader revealed that, "As people grapple with unknown, many are experiencing the Bible's message for the first time ever."
Briggs spoke with Anatoliy Raychynets, the deputy general secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society, who reported that he had witnessed Ukrainian church leaders pulling together for peace amidst the Russian invasion and people turning to the Bible for hope.
Briggs shared that Raychynets has been sharing Psalm 31 to those who are feeling despair ahead of the Russian invasion and people are surprised to hear that the words resonate with them. The passage reads, "Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege."
Moreover, Raychynets also reported that priests and pastors in the last few weeks leading up to the Russian invasion had been flocking to the Bible Society store in Kyiv to purchase bibles, so much so that stock had run out.
According to Faithwire, Briggs quoted Raychynets as saying, "We need more Bibles."
But Raychynets also shared how his relationship with Christian leaders in Russia had changed in the face of the Russian invasion. He said that they actually communicate and have been united in Christ despite the toxic division brought about by political leaders. He told Briggs that they speak to their "colleagues in Russia" and even "pray together.
"We are united in the Lord," Raychynets assured.
Unity among Ukrainian Christians was also witnessed recently by a CNN correspondent and the rest of the world during a broadcast. While reporting on the Russian invasion in Ukraine, a few Ukrainian men were seen on camera dropping to their knees to pray in a "powerful" scene that moved the hearts and minds of many who witnessed it.
Tanya Pinchuk, a Christian journalist living in Kyiv who was forced to take her family to a refuge in a bomb shelter during the Russian invasion, told Evangelical Focus, "We need prayers, in general we are safe here, but it is scary to hear the noise of military planes, not knowing if it is Ukraine or the enemy. It is a very dangerous situation."
Pinchuk, who works in a secular radio, said they have "changed the programme to encourage people to pray and to reduce panic, giving practical advice on what to do in such situations in different areas."
Meanwhile, pastors in Kyiv remain "afraid and concerned" over the Russian invasion, pastor Sergei Nakulm, who remains in his church building said. He urged the faithful to pray for Christians in Ukraine and called upon missionaries, pastors, and radio broadcasters to continue sharing "the Good news of Jesus Christ" amist "these dangerous times," because for him, "this is what our people really need."
