Will there be war? Most of my life was lived under the pall of war between the US and the Soviet Union. Then the Soviet Union fell and those tensions seemed to have vanished. Clearly not the case anymore. Specifically, we look at Ukraine, a place near my heart. I lived in the capital, Kyiv, for 18 months in 98 and 99. I have watched its rather turbulent history as a nation with some feeling of investment, of belonging.
The Russian invasion of Crimea and western most Ukraine in 2014 looked like it was going to kick off a dramatic shift for its future, then things to stabilize. Stabilize from the perspective of the Western press, at least. Things on the ground have, of course, been different.
Now, however, things look like they may go very hot indeed. 100,000 plus troops on the border and a recent cyberattack are fueling speculation of an imminent invasion. A very likely scenario.
I could try to explain the history at play here, but not in less that ten times the amount of words I want to put into this post. Ukraine is one of those places in the world where empires go to fight, and without some very careful maneuvering it will happen again and it might lead to something bigger.
There have been Anabaptists, Baptists, and Mennonites in Ukraine since the 16th century. The All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian-Baptists (AUС EСB), includes 3 seminaries, 2 universities and 15 Bible colleges, and is estimated to have 150,000 conscious believers, and about 300,000 people that attend church services in more than 2,800 churches, with 3,160 clergy members. This includes the Kyiv Theological Seminary (KTS) where I taught.
I am asking you to pray for our fellow believers and fellow Baptists. I am asking you to pray for the innocent people caught up in the posturing of empires. I am asking you to pray for wisdom for leaders from the highest levels downs to commanders of individual units and mayors of villages. Pray that there will be no war.