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Ukraine war: Faith in the fire

Ukraine war: Faith in the fire
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John Birnie
29 May, 2022 4 min read

The names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego arouse within us feelings of respect and admiration for young men who would trust and serve God come what may. They epitomise ‘faith in the fire’!

The same feelings rise to the surface on receiving reports of the courage and strength of Christian leaders and believers who, in the heat of the flames of violence and war in the cities of Ukraine, are caring for others with Christ-like love and compassion.

Dark picture

It is hard to take in the appalling scale of destruction and cruel loss of life in towns and cities like Bucha, Kharkiv, and worst of all, Mariupol. It is a dark picture of the depths to which humanity will stoop to gain its ends.

'All I could do was to give our soldiers a hug and to pray with them. They are so open to prayers, encouragement, and support. We just stood in a circle putting our hands on each other’s shoulders and prayed to God!'

The common story of the many Slavic Gospel Association-supported missionaries ministering there is of people suffering: half-starved, fearful, hiding in underground shelters, needing but not able to access medical care and attention.

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