I wished someone a happy birthday on Facebook with a statement that I’d include the person in my prayers. The response was along the lines of thanks, but you should be praying for Ukraine because we’re in pretty good shape in the US. Fair enough.
Here’s are my thoughts I shared back:
I’m convinced our God is big enough to be as concerned about our individual souls as He is about events in Ukraine. As we write these words, our church is channeling our donations to our sister church near Odessa. It has been converted into a relief center, and the church members and leaders are using the funds to procure humanitarian supplies. We are also sheltering a Ukrainian family here that was visiting our church when the Russians invaded. Right now, they’re not able to get back until hostilities cease.
One way to commemorate a birthday is to use some our wealth to help that Ukrainian church purchase supplies. The link is https://www.firsttuscaloosa.org/give-online. In the drop-down menu for Fund, select Ukraine Emergency Fund. If not this route, you can probably find local churches that have similar efforts ongoing.
On the spiritual level, regular prayer meetings about the situation are happening daily at our sister church and at our own church. Besides praying for leaders to bring the situation to an end, the prayers are also counterintuitive. Rather than giving in to the natural reaction to wish harm on Putin, the prayers are for his salvation, to bring him to a Damascus road experience that will change his heart. After all, his soul is important to God as are each of ours.
If God is big enough to be as concerned for you soul as well as world situations like Ukraine, what will you do about it?