Beyond the Bad News

“What do you think? Is all of Ukraine currently in a type of depression?” asked a lady from the Western country after hearing a lecture on trauma and its consequences. I took a breath before answering; because pictures of smoke, missiles, holes in buildings and the look in the eyes of my brothers and sisters in front-line cities popped up in my mind.

“It probably depends on your definition of depression”, I answered slowly. “Perhaps not many are diagnosed with it, but all over the country, the people of Ukraine surely have the symptoms…”

To some level grief, fear, anxiety, emotional instability and insomnia probably plague us all, not to mention the more serious effects that others undergo in the areas constantly under gunfire.

In all honesty, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘depressing’ atmosphere of it all. Yet as we Ukrainians fight the battle with the enemy on the front lines, we Christians also fight for a different kind of peace – a peace in our hearts.

So, it helps to see beyond the bad news, to see things like:

• The Gospel is reaching far and wide.
• People who never knew the Lord before the war are now coming to church every Sunday.
• New ministries are starting, and new ministers are serving.
• There are smiles on the faces of internally displaced people while attending another church event.
• Christians sharing prayer needs and holding hands as they pray together.
• Volunteers coming from different countries and helping rebuild destroyed houses.

It helps to see, to know, and to keep our eyes focused on God – because God is here, in the midst of it all.”

Ukraine