Reflections on War in Ukraine: Three Essential Books

Over the years, much of our cross-cultural ministry has been in leadership development (including theological education) in Ukraine. We have had the privilege of learning from and serving with truly gifted Ukrainian colleagues. Now, during war, as citizens of the defending nation and as citizens of heaven, many of our colleagues are sharing their experiences and reflections in print. I want to recommend three books that have been recently published.

The three books are:

• Beatitudes and Terror: A Ukrainian Theological Response to Russian Aggression edited by Oleksandr Geychenko, Roman Soloviy, and Yevgeny Ustinovich
• Light in the Valley of the Shadow of Death: Stories of Ukrainian Christians During the War edited by Roman Soloviy
• Serving God Under Siege: How War Transformed a Ukrainian Community by Valentyn Syniy

Beatitudes and Terror

The foreword of Beatitudes and Terror says,

“The book you’re holding right now is an endeavor by eight Ukrainian evangelical theologians to revisit Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, particularly the Beatitudes, in light of present-day Ukrainian experience of Russia’s military aggression. This book is more than academic research, although these authors follow the highest standard of biblical exegesis. It is a vibrant dialogue between the text written two millennia ago and realities in Ukraine in the twenty-first century.

Further, it says,

Here, the authors don’t offer oversimplified answers but rather invite the reader to join in the reflection, to come along on the spiritual journey through the pages of the Gospel, to rethink one’s own understanding of Christian faith and its practical manifestation amid war, hardships, and trials”.

However, the deeper value is the reflection. The reflections flow from the analysis of the text, the experience, and the ponderings of the writers. Eight different authors take you on their journey that is both unique and intersects with the other seven. The reader will find insight into Jesus’ teachings and experience a range of emotion and thought as they follow the writers through the complexities of seemingly simple kingdom values, delayed justice, eschatological hope, current suffering, deep pain, anger, depression, guilt, and so much more. The points of view are thoughtful and varied. Some are measured and some are raw, but they are all authentic. I was challenged and inspired to think more deeply and practically about how my worldview is shaped and applied.

A few excerpts

Working on this interpretation has helped us to realize our own brokenness, which is greater than we expected. But we are also beginning to realize our own blessedness, although we may still be far from any striking manifestations of this state.

Beatitudes and Terror, p. 15

Our old life has already been destroyed, and no one even knows when the time of post war reconstruction of the country will begin. We are going through a period of deep darkness, and most likely this darkness will only intensify for some time – we do not know how long, only that it is not forever. We reflect on the words of Jesus, as much as possible in our liminal state, and find a source of strength to worthily endure all the trials with him today, “here and now” – and he asks for nothing more (Matt 6:34).

Beatitudes and Terror, p. 16

In the preface to the English edition, pastor Syniy says,

The book was conceived as an honest account of what it is like to be displaced during a war in the modern world, very often a world of lonely people. This is the view of an ordinary person, a displaced person, who was not a soldier but served as a pastor of a church and was the president of a seminary in the south of Ukraine.

Serving God Under Siege, p 7.

In my view, Valentine Syniy delivers on the implied promise of the description of this book.

The book covers roughly the first nine months of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. He gives a first-person account of his experience fleeing the invasion force. We walk with him as he gets reports of the occupation of the TCI campus and its eventual destruction.

Included in his experience are many of his reflections about what is happening in the moment and also reflections on reflections as he reviews recent events, grieves loss, and accepts the reality of destroyed dreams.

I found the author’s honest expression of his emotions (anger, confusion, sadness, joy, hope, etc.) vulnerable and refreshing. Furthermore, I found the writing overall authentic, personal, and accessible. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to journey with someone through truly tragic and evil circumstances in a way that goes so much deeper than news soundbites.

Light in the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Light in the Valley of the Shadow of Death is a snapshot of the experience of 12 people living in the context of war. The forward describes the book this way,

This book brings together twelve authors to tell their stories. Each one of them has joined in the fight against evil, the fight to preserve dignity, and freedom. They made their choice back then and reaffirm it daily as they pass through this collective Gethsemane filled with fear, loss, and despair. Yet they have faith that after Calvary comes Resurrection. That’s what they share with readers – their personal and profound experience of the last few years, an experience where faith is inextricably intertwined with doubts, fear is bound up with courage, and loneliness goes hand in hand with connection.

Light in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, p. vii.

The background of the 12 contributors is varied. They are educators, theologians, pastors, journalists, chaplains, soldiers, a war widow, and others. Their writing styles, focus, and reactions are also varied. What they do have in common is a shared ethnic heritage – they are Ukrainian, living in a war context, and following Jesus. These commonalities bring unity to the book. I also love that each chapter ends with a quote from the next chapter. To me this shows tremendous unity and respect for colleagues. As I read, I was moved, annoyed, angered, saddened, and even occasionally amused. The insights and reflections are real, insightful, and thought provoking. I could definitely see where, “…faith is inextricably intertwined with doubts, fear is bound up with courage, and loneliness…”

A few excerpts

The war didn’t teach me anything I didn’t know before, but I was experiencing it all now. As a result, I was changing, and so was my outlook on life. I began to value family, freedom, and the bare necessities of life above all else. Previously, all of this had been overshadowed by hollow imaginings of happiness, such as owning things or being popular. The war quickly and ruthlessly dealt with these illusions.

Light, p.99.

I also know that evil must be opposed simply because it is the right thing to do. There is no other way. Evil exists, and it is objectively real. It may not always manifest as something purely evil, so it is not always easy to recognize. But when an armed person comes to kill simply because he desires more power, there is no need to attend lectures on philosophy and psychoanalysis to properly judge his actions: this is evil, and it must be stopped.

Light, p.109

The pain of loss will not fade overnight. The challenge of forgiving the enemy also looms somewhere on the horizon. It’s too early to talk or even think about forgiveness, but as I look towards the future, I am horrified to realize that we, as Christians, cannot avoid this topic.

Light, p. 114

Too often, testimonies are about triumphs, victories, fulfilled hopes, and answered prayers. Rarely are they about painful loss and continued faith despite the pain.

Light, p. 272.

The strength of this book is not in the theology of war, evil, and suffering. While some of the insights are deeply moving and profound, I also found some quite shallow or simplistic. Hearing the process of applying theology is a great value. But the even greater value of this book is that it is like the data of a qualitative study of the experience of war from the point of view of faith. It is a snapshot of the experience of 12 varied individuals, as they navigate life through a terrible evil. They wrestle with all the questions – Why? How long? Where are you? What next? They react with passion and authentic. I am sure I didn’t feel the full intensity of their emotion, but I felt with them. I journeyed with them. My view of God, evil, justice, prayer, were all impacted.

Recommendation

For me, all three of these definitely go into the category of needing to be read more than once.

I honestly do not know how much the authors benefit financially from the sale of these books. But, even if I didn’t know some of them, I still think I would be recommending them. I am convinced that these three books and future ones like these will have a significant impact on the thinking of the global church.

Full disclosure: Some of these authors are my friends and I weep with them at the great evil happening to them and their country. That probably biases me, but that doesn’t mean that these are not worth the read. It is a way for me to challenge my thinking, support suffering brothers and sisters, and give voice to those who have something significant to say.

Prayer

We pray that next year we will be recommending books about preserving peace, offering forgiveness, and true reconciliation. Until then, we pray for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.