As you may know, Kit and I have spent a lot of time in Eastern Europe. They are people just like us. We deeply grieve over the tragedy in Ukraine perhaps the most Christian country in all of Europe. We recently received a letter from a long-term friend and effective Ukrainian missionary. Following is part of that letter describing life there.:

Excerpt:

“There is a theology we read in books. There is a theology we discuss in churches, seminaries, Bible studies, and conferences. And then there is theology at 3:00 a.m. in the morning.

Your phone suddenly screams an air-raid warning. The message says ballistic missiles may be coming.

“You check on your family. You pray. You wait. And suddenly theology is no longer simply a collection of things you believe about God. It becomes a much more personal question: Do I still believe tonight what I said I believed about God yesterday?

“’God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way…’ (Psalm 46:1–2).

“As a Ukrainian Christian, I read these words differently now than I did before the war.

Notice what the Psalm does not say. It does not say the earth will never give way. It tells us who God is when it does. During these years of war, we have prayed many prayers for protection. We have also buried people. We have thanked God when missiles were intercepted. We have also stood near buildings destroyed by them. We have worshiped after sleepless nights, served people while exhausted, counseled hurting families while carrying our own fears, and opened our Bibles while explosions could still be heard outside.

“And slowly I am learning something I wish could be learned in an easier classroom. God has not changed. He is not less present because we are sitting in darkness waiting for the all-clear. And perhaps this is one of the deepest tests of Christian faith. Not simply: “Do I believe God will remove the danger?” But: “Will I still hold on to God if the danger remains?”

“How much of our confidence in God is actually confidence in a predictable life? How much of our peace depends on electricity working, our children being safe, tomorrow looking roughly like today, and the structures around us continuing to function? It is easy, when life is stable, to confuse God’s faithfulness with our circumstances remaining comfortable.

“War brutally tears away that illusion. And underneath it, we discover the question that Christians in every country eventually have to answer: What is my soul standing on when everything else I stand on begins to shake? This is theology in a bomb shelter. It is not learning how to become fearless. I still feel fear. It is learning whom to hold on to when you are afraid.”

End Excerpt

Please let me urge you to join Kit and me lessening Ukrainian woes a little. The following is the email address for Olexiy and Lena Travnikov in Kiev. olexiy.travnikov@gmail.com  They are wonderful people. We urge you to help them financially, even a little, if you can.

Drew