What can we do for the people in Ukraine? At Covenant College’s informal Q & A about what is happening with Ukraine and Russia, led by professor of political science Dr. Cale Horne and history professors Dr. Paul Morton and Dr. Richard Follett, this was the closing question. Dr. Horne responded with a call to pray.
“Do not trivialize the power of prayer,” he said, calling on Psalm 2 as an example of God’s sovereignty over everything, including war.
Over the week of March 1, Covenant’s multicultural program sent out an email with a 24-hour prayer chain spanning four days, calling students to sign up for thirty minute slots to pray for Ukraine. All of the slots were filled, and over 16 pages of prayers were documented. These written prayers will be sent to churches in Ukraine for encouragement in a time of hardship. Whether through prayer or hands-on service, students at Covenant are coming together to try to better understand and help with the war in Ukraine.
On February 24, President Vladimir Putin of Russia launched what he called a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Since then, over 2 million Ukranians have fled the country as refugees and over 500 civilians have died. Russian forces are making attempts to cut off the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, with troops moving inward from the North, East and South.
Why is this happening now?
According to Putin, his goal is to keep his people from genocide and bullying, aiming for the “demilitarization and de-Nazification” of Ukraine. However, Ukraine is led by a Jewish president, Volodymyr Zelensky, so Putin’s narrative is flawed. There are deeper tensions between the two countries.
Since Ukraine gained a new presidency in 2014, it has turned more toward the West and expressed interest in joining the European Union. Putin is against Ukraine’s leaning towards the West more, and he has retaliated. In 2013, Moscow pushed Ukraine’s president not to sign an association treaty with the EU. Protests broke out in Ukraine in response to this.
In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea, a peninsula in the Southern region of Ukraine, to solidify their hold of trade in the Black Sea. Over the next eight years, tensions between Russia and Ukraine continued to increase, and in 2021 Russia started deploying troops to Ukraines borders. The situation is still uncertain on both sides, and for those far away from the country with close ties to it, this is one of the hardest parts.
Nathan Fredere ‘23 is a student at Covenant whose parents were missionaries in Ukraine. He spent the first decade of his life there. His sister is adopted and is ethnically Ukrainian, and she is currently in Kyiv with her husband. He said he fears the possibility of any of his friends or his sister dying and is sad he cannot be there to help them, but is thankful for the support of his friends at Covenant and for the blessing of safety.
“At the end of the day, I think the people who are getting hurt the most are the people in Ukraine who can’t afford to leave, and the people in Russia with all the economic sanctions,” Fredere said. “I understand that war is difficult for both ends, but it does make me sad that I do feel like it is the poor and helpless people who aren’t really participants in this geopolitical conflict that are going to suffer.”
Over the past few weeks, he has prayed not only for his friends and family in Ukraine, but also for the poor and oppressed there. He was not alone in his prayers. Here are just a few of the prayers submitted anonymously from the 16 pages Covenant students sent to be given to Ukrainian churches:
“I pray that He turns His ear to our cries all around the world. I pray that those who are hurting, suffering, and afraid that He would show Himself to them.”
“I prayed for the people of Ukraine and Russia, for them to be surrounded by the power
of God. That those who feel helpless will have hope, and that supplies can be brought to those
in need.”
“Prayer for children, the eldery, the sick and disabled who might be the most helpless. That
people would be able to process things and not be consumed with anxious thoughts and
Emotions.”
“I prayed that the Lord would provide peace for the people suffering in Ukraine and that
He would strengthen them physically and spiritually during this difficult time.”
For a few Covenant students, opportunity arose to do more than pray. Levi Tucker ‘23 accompanied Isabel Gregoire to Spišská Nová Ves, Slovakia, where her parents are currently missionaries. While they were there, they were able to help transport refugees from the border and through Krakow, Poland to safety. Tucker said many of the refugees left everything but a few suitcases behind.
“A lot of them are just completely exhausted, very kind of shell shocked. They just need a warm meal and a bed, a shower and a place to do their laundry,” he said. “Isabel’s family opened up their house, so at any given time there were at least three or four refugees staying either for the afternoon or for the night, or sticking around to grab some food.”
Tucker was able to have conversations with some of those refugees and get to know their stories. He said he recognizes how blessed he was to be able to go and help, because not many here are able to do the same. But for those who cannot be there, he too called on the power of prayer.
“Praying is the number one thing that people can be doing. It’s only through the power of the gospel and only through Christ’s sacrifice that redemption can happen.”