Ukraine is a country in pain – the pain of the defenders and all those who are on the frontlines; the pain of those who are witnesses to genocide and destruction; the pain of those who have lost loved ones; the pain of the volunteers, ministers and chaplains who, day after day after day, are listening to stories of incredible suffering and helping those in need. There is also the pain of parents, grandparents and those who work with children alleviating the damage to the next generation of Ukrainians.
We do not forget the heartbreak and grief of refugees who have fled the horrors and terror of war to live in a safer country. What a high price they are paying for physical safety! Separation from loved ones, loneliness, and isolation as they build new lives – not knowing if or when they will be able to return to their homes.
This is why this Christmas message is so moving. A Ukrainian pastor – our partner, Pastor Serhii from Salvation Evangelical Church in Poltava where they have been caring for thousands of internally displaced people since the war began – has sent a message of hope to Ukrainian refugees in the UK. He addresses Ukrainian refugees who meet every Friday morning in the Ukraine Hub at Guildford Baptist Church in Surrey, but it is a message of love, compassion and peace for all.
Here is the English translation:
Happy Christmas dear Ukrainians!
We are in Poltava, and we are happy that we are connected to you, and that we can be together with you during this season of hope and joyful celebration, when God comes into the darkness and brings the light.
We are happy that you are in a peaceful place, where there is no war, no threats, and no explosions. We know that all of you have experienced this. We are happy too, that many Ukrainian citizens are now living in a place where they do not feel threatened; where they do not hear planes in the sky and think that they are in danger again. We are even more happy, that does not matter where we are, God does not leave us, God is always near and God gives us these special moments, that amidst this terrible war we can feel a special joy that we are not forgotten and that He is near.
One of the names for God is ‘Emmanuel’ – God is with us and this is the hope for human beings that it does not matter where I am now – God always will be nearby. This gives us joy, energy, and hope to continue living. For us here, this gives us strength to help people, to continue what we do. The same is for you, this gives you the strength to live where you are, and to be a good Ukrainian; to be a honourable citizen of our country, to be a Christian who is good and good to others and good to the country where you are now. You are also able to send help and encouragement to all who remain in Ukraine. Together we do what we can to continue our fight. We are grateful that because of God’s grace we are still alive.
This Christmas time we wish you to feel God’s kindness to you, God’s love for you and to see Him in everything around you. That through something small God will show you His presence, His love, and His care.
We are sending our greetings from Poltava to you in England. We want your hearts to feel our care for you, we value you and we feel for you. We feel joy especially because we have met with some of you. Some of you are supporting and are a part of our church in Poltava. You are helping people with us, and you are going through this crisis with us. God bless each of you!
Christmas reminds us that God came to this world. God came to be with his people. God does not forget us. He loves us and cares for us. He came here to Earth and suffered death on the cross and He paid for each of our sins. We celebrate that the Saviour is born, the one who saves us, the one who gives us forgiveness and gives us peace and union with God. We have hope and assurance. We are sure that one day God will accept us into his Kingdom.
In this time of Christmas celebration, we light candles. God even in the darkness brings light, and one day we will see a bright star, when God will come to this world.
God bless you. May you have strength and be inspired by God’s grace to feel all the joy of Christmas, and to feel the idea and essence of what God does for each of us.
Hopefully, if we have the God’s blessing, then we will meet one day here, on Earth.
If not – may God continue to care for you, may you feel His presence, and know that He is with you.
Happy Christmas from Poltava.’
The photographs below show volunteers from Salvation Church preparing Christmas gifts for ‘our heroes — wounded Armed Forces fighters in the military hospital and frontline defenders. Christmas begins with Christ, and these gifts are a token of our love, gratitude, and prayers for peace.’
