The Hamas attack in Gaza and neighboring areas of Israel was another jolting reminder that autocrats are committed to acts of terror, often targeting innocent victims, and their goal is to create chaos and instability in democratic countries. Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China are working together, despite internal tensions that exist between them, to disrupt any efforts to strengthen emerging democracies in Ukraine or form alliances between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors. One immediate dimension of the conflict in Gaza is that Ukraine has largely disappeared from the front pages of newspapers and evening television broadcasts.
The heroism and success of the Ukrainian armed forces has been impressive, and their current counteroffensive is making significant progress, despite the reports of some western sources. But there is another story that needs to be told: How the Ukrainians are dealing with the devastation that has wreaked havoc on them for more than 600 days of war.
Since the war’s beginning, Ukraine has been besieged with relentless Russian attacks of missiles and rockets, which are destroying homes, apartment buildings, hospitals, medical clinics, schools, and access to food, water, and electricity. The emerging response by Ukraine’s civil society to this devastation is yet another remarkable demonstration of the country’s tenacity and spirit. The Ukrainian people realize that more than 5 million people have been displaced within Ukraine and more than 6 million have become refugees in Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Moldova, among others. To meet the needs of millions of Ukrainians, the churches and universities in the country have organized an incredible number of outlets, many of them faith-based, to serve the needy.
My relationships in Ukraine are primarily connected to higher education institutions, mostly Protestant universities, seminaries, and Bible institutes. Even though some of these schools have lost their campuses during the war or have the task of rebuilding destroyed facilities once the war is over, their presidents are not passive. These leaders formed a group called “People of the Bridge,” comprised of ten educational institutions and four other Christian ministries. This network of fourteen faith-based refugee hubs has been actively engaged in combining their theology and their humanitarian outreach, which the leadership believes is “the essence of the Kingdom of God.”
One of the key leaders of “People of the Bridge,” Taras N. Dyatlik, regularly reports on the activity of these seminary hubs and he recently testified that a radiant light has emerged in Ukraine, “a testament to the enduring power of faith and the boundless reach of Christian hospitality.” Here are some examples of their work:
More than 8,000 refugees have received long-term shelter on seminary campuses.
More than 11,000 people were evacuated from dangerous war zones.
More than 40,000 civilians and military personnel have received trauma counseling.
More than 500,000 needy people have been given food supplies, particularly vulnerable populations, such as children, widows, and the elderly.
2,149 theology students have continued their theological education in the 10 seminaries in Ukraine and Moldova, where they are learning to combine their theological education with practical service to internally displaced people and the needy struggling to survive the war.
Support for “People of the Bridge” can be sent to https://uwm.org/projects/48505 (Ukraine) which is administered by United World Mission, Overseas Council and ScholarLeaders International.
Similar relief programs are in operation through Catholic churches and Catholic educational institutions, particularly Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv. This university is one of the country’s best schools and its leadership has been in the forefront of support for its vulnerable population. A review of UCU’s website will introduce readers to its ambitious efforts to mobilize its faculty, staff, and students to support the war effort and offers donation channels as well.
Orthodox churches and their related charities are also active, along with Muslim leaders, Mormons, and other religious communities. Recently, an important online conference was held on “The Role of Religious Leaders and Organizations in Promoting Social Cohesion.” A wide range of religious leaders and government executives – as well as U. S. government officials from the Agency for International Development – participated, together with support from the European Union.
Ukrainian civic leaders are engaged in remarkably cooperative relief efforts and, in so doing, are demonstrating the importance of interfaith understanding and how to promote human flourishing or justice, even in wartime. This is an important indicator of the emerging character of Ukraine’s democracy. The contrast with Putin’s Russia could not be greater, where fear and hatred are propagated by the Kremlin and where young Russians are now being taught in elementary and high schools to use weapons of war. Russia is preparing for the “next war.”