Grieving for Ukraine with Hope
Because the cross proves our God can turn what is meant for evil into good.
Watching today’s events unfold, I grieve for the Ukrainians. As I pray, an early church leader named Augustine is proving helpful.
He served as a pastor in the northern African city of Hippo from 396 A.D. until his death in 430 A.D. During his ministry, Germanic Visigoths, under King Alaric, invaded and sacked the city of Rome in 410.
It was Rome’s 911—an unthinkable attack upon the heart of the Western Empire. The shock waves reverberated through Italy, across the Mediterranean, and down to Hippo.
Today must feel like that for Ukrainians.
In the wake of Rome’s defeat in 410, Augustine wrote a book called The City of God, partly to defend the church from attacks by those who blamed the defeat of Rome on the rise of Christianity. Augustine’s other purpose was to console Christians in their fear and grief.
It was the end of the world as they had known it.
In the wake of mass uncertainty, Augustine wanted believers to embrace their dual citizenship. On one hand, Christians are citizens of earthly, geopolitical nations (or cities, to use Augustine’s terminology). But we also are citizens of a spiritual, heavenly kingdom—the City (or Kingdom) of God.
Our citizenship in the earthly city is temporary while our residence in the heavenly city is eternal. Earthly nations will rise and fall. The Kingdom of God will endure forever.
Encouraged by that reality, as we pray, we may place our confidence in a greater King than Vladimir Putin or other earthy leaders. Therefore, believers do not despair, whether earthly kingdoms near or far prosper or suffer. The King is still on the throne, and our prayers are to the One unfolding his purposeful yet often mysterious will on earth as it is in heaven.
Early in his ministry, Jesus proclaimed something foundational to his message.
Mark 1:14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
With great zeal, the Savior introduced the hope of the Kingdom of God, the reconciling movement from heaven that would welcome citizens from all peoples on earth.
The entrance exam was simple: “Repent and believe the good news!” Confess that you’ve been living in rebellion to the true King and receive the pardon of all crimes with faith in the King’s substitutionary death in place of traitors.
As citizens of heaven, we need not fear when the city of man falls. It seems clear in Scripture that God is at work in the good and the bad, through success and failure, to bring the lost home as citizens of an eternal land of peace and joy.
In fact, the cross proves that our Father can turn what is meant for evil into good.
So, I’m praying today (1) for the Lord to bring peace among nations, and (2) that he will turn evil into good, in a way only he is able. Even in the midst of evil.