The brutality and violence that has characterized the Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly in regions of the country occupied by Russian armed forces, is evident in daily news updates. The reports of attacks on civilians add to the tragic dimensions of this war of aggression by Russia. Night after night, missiles and drones hit non-military targets – and the most vulnerable people, especially the elderly and children, are often the victims.
But there is another story going on in Ukraine that rarely gets any news coverage. It is the work of people of faith from a wide range of religious communities in Ukraine, and it is a story that is truly impressive. One of Ukraine’s strengths as a nation is its religious freedom, which is encouraged and supported by the government. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published a survey in 2022 which reported that 85% of Ukrainians identified themselves as Christians. 72% are Eastern Orthodox, 9% are Eastern-rite Catholic believers, and 4% are Protestants. In addition, Jews and Muslims also are active and work together with Christians. This ecumenical spirit is rare in today’s world but is celebrated in Ukraine.
In the past few months, I have shared stories of how Christians are actively engaged on the home front in terms of providing food, medicine, and housing to displaced citizens from war zones. They have also transported refugees in their own cars and trucks to neighboring NATO countries that are offering relief for a large population of women and children whose husbands and sons were drafted into the Ukrainian army. In addition, other Christian non-profit organizations have provided stoves and created bakeries that distribute bread to the needy, along with messages about the “bread of life.”
Another story that needs to be told is about the Christians who have opened their homes in western Ukraine to refugees. I cannot imagine Americans opening their homes to refugees like the Ukrainians have. And the related miracle is how refugees from Ukraine have shared their faith in the communities where they have resettled during the war and planted churches.
One of the most important new developments in Ukraine is how Christian seminaries and Bible colleges, along with Catholic and Orthodox institutions, are training staff, faculty, and volunteers in trauma healing, which is desperately needed by the victims of war – both civilian and military. One example is the program offered by Ukrainian Evangelical Theology Seminary (UETS), in cooperation with Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Kentucky), for 34 students from numerous cities across the country. This program integrates psychology and theology and helps participants to develop advanced counseling skills, learn about the specifics of narrative trauma therapy, and understand the importance of self-care for the counselors.
One of the students shared this insight: “We will live in a very traumatized society. . . next to those boys and girls who have seen violence against their mothers and loved ones, next to traumatized people who did not receive timely psychological support. There will be people who will return from the front with traumas, both psychological and physical. There will be families where children and women are codependent on their fathers’ and husbands’ PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]. In general, we, as a society, will have the challenge of learning to live in a traumatized society. . . and the need is immense.”
Another participant in this course on trauma counseling reported on her own struggle: “I myself used to serve on the frontline as a volunteer and military doctor for three years, and I experienced PTSD after returning from the frontline. Now I am staying in touch with other military men and women, and at this point, I want to learn as much as I can on this topic to be able to help them in the future.”
The Ukrainian government also authorized the development of a training course by the Military Institute of National Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv for its first cohort of 30 military chaplains from five religious organizations, including its first female chaplain officer. Each of these developments adds strength to the domestic life of the country and will bring healing and nurture to its postwar rebuilding.
Despite the efforts of Putin and his national security cronies to destroy Ukraine and make it a part of the Russia’s colonial empire, the Ukrainian people are committed to preserving and rebuilding their unique multicultural society with its democratic governance and religious freedom. They have much to teach other nations in central and western Europe, as well as in North America. Support from the West for this country, and its brave and inspiring citizens, remains crucial.