How does a Christian engage with a war taking place on the other side of the world?
In times of crisis, followers of Jesus are called to pray, to give, and to hope.
We’ve curated some resources and found a few organizations that are providing tangible help with the invasion of Ukraine.
Prayer:
The scriptures give us a clear call to be a people of prayer through lament and intercession.
In lament we recognize the evil, suffering, and pain of the world and bring it all to God. One of the most used cries of lament in the Psalms is “Oh Lord, how long?”
Pray Psalm 13 with Ukraine in mind:
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Intercession is the act of praying on behalf of another. An example is below from David Cassidy on Twitter:
Though it may feel futile, we must remember the promise that God works through the prayers of His people. Don’t lose heart. Here’s an encouragement from Beth Moore:
Giving:
There are many organizations on the ground directly meeting the needs of people in Ukraine, and refugees that are fleeing. Here are a few reputable agencies:
Mountain Seed Foundation - They work directly to meet needs of children and families affected through providing water, basic supplies, housing, and transportation. 100% of PayPal donations go directly to Ukrainian families.
International Medical Corp - They’re working to provide medical, mental health, and protection services inside Ukraine.
World Central Kitchen - Led by Chef José Andrés, they are working to feed thousands of people every day both in Ukraine, and on the borders.
We also have connections with a few individuals who are personally driving to Ukraine and/or working on the borders in Hungary and Poland to assist refugees … if someone is looking for a smaller scale, but more personal way to help contact Jon here.
Hope:
While there is devastation in abundance, there are seeds of hope sprouting through the chaos. While we ultimately hope in the peace and justice of God to reign finally and fully, we celebrate stories of resilience and renewal through the tragic war that’s unfolding.
Christianity Today wrote an article of churches persevering and praying for peace.. You can read it here.
Below you can see worship in a church basement in one of the harder hit cities of Mariupol.
Church, together let’s continue to pray, give, and hope as we look to Jesus in all of life.