With heaviness, we lament that the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on. Here is an invitation to pray alongside our brothers and sisters. Let us lift up our hearts and voices in prayer and petition to God, standing alongside all those who are suffering.

With the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, there has been a terrible ecological catastrophe. At least 8 villages are entirely flooded, with 12 more villages and towns submerged. While there is a massive clean-up going on now, the extent of the ecological and environmental devastation is yet unknown.

Our Lausanne friend, Oleksandr Malov earlier reported that:

“According to approximate estimates, only today (!) 20,000 people will lose their homes and households as a result of this terrorist act. We expect some half a million climate refugees in Ukraine.

Besides the human side of the story, there is also an environmental one. The flood destroys rare ecosystems. The dam was part of the water supply system that provided fresh water to several large cities, including Mykolaiv, Kryvyi Rig, and the Crimean peninsula; now, these cities have problems with water supply. Tons of toxic materials from the hydroelectric power station have penetrated the rivers and soils. Domestic and wild animals are going to die because of the flood.

Please, pray for the victory of Ukraine! Pray for God’s creation that suffers along with human beings because of the war! Don’t get tired of raising your voices in support of Ukraine. Speak about the Ukrainian ecological catastrophe with other brothers and sisters who care for creation. ”

Photo: Kakhovka Dam (before the destruction), photo by Volodymyr Dziubak

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been raging on, and the devastation it has wrought is beyond our imagination. We bring an update and an invitation to hear more on the situation from our friend Steve Michmerhuizen:

“Ukraine has been under invasion since February 2022 and this war has brought a terrible loss of life for many people.  God’s people do not suffer alone when war ravages the land; it is also God’s creation that is destroyed through the devastation.

“On April 25 (Tuesday) you are invited to join a one-hour discussion with Alexander Malov, a Ukrainian living in Kyiv and researcher at the Hodos Institute, to learn from him as he shares about this situation. Alexander is an advocate of Creation Care (also a LWCCNN friend and partner) and has dedicated many hours to this concern in Ukraine and elsewhere. Alexander’s presentation will follow a short introduction and we will finish with time for questions and answers.

“Please share this invitation with your colleagues, friends, and students who would like to join the meeting.”

Use the link below to join the call on April 25, 16:00-17:00 Ukrainian time (3 pm CET, 2 pm UK, 9 am US Eastern Time):

https://crcna.zoom.us/j/81389119246?pwd=M3pjREhKbjlERFhSNzlsd3lHTy9GQT09

Let us join in to hear from our brother.

Photo: Bucha, Ukraine by Mikhail Volkov on Unsplash

We considered the general topic of trying to care for God’s creation in a time of war in last month’s Pollinator, and we would like to invite you to join us on Friday, 6 May 1200 UTC, for an extended discussion of this question, considering wars in both Ukraine and Africa as well as how the Bible can help us.

Here is the invitation:

Few things create greater moral and spiritual dilemmas than wars. Titanic struggles pit nation against nation, good against evil, with enormous pain and suffering inflicted on those least responsible. Often overlooked in a time of war is the damage inflicted on God’s creation, damage that may take generations to repair. How do we pursue care for God’s creation in such a time? And what might we learn about the unrelenting war against God’s creation that goes on around the world, even in times of human “peace”?

Join us for a webinar, ‘Creation Care in a War Zone’. We will hear from some of those who are even now in Ukraine, others who have experienced war in Africa, and some creation care leaders who will share thoughts from the Bible.

REGISTER NOW

Speakers: 

Dr. Alexander Negrov, CEO of Hodos Institute 

Rev. Ed Brown, CEO, Care of Creation

Revd. Dr. Dave Bookless, Director of Theology, A Rocha International

Lausanne Global Catalyst for Creation Care

Alexander Malov, Director of Eco–Hodos Project, Hodos Institute

Dr. Eraston Kighoma, Executive Director at CIMR

And the link to register for webinar: https://forms.gle/HaeEUHHS5ugcw1e49

Please join us and share with your colleagues.