BEING HUMAN

In the global tapestry of Christianity, there exists an uneven distribution of hardship and comfort. While some churches flourish in societies with religious freedom and political stability (in some cases, under the protection of nuclear powers), others persist under various forms of pressure: state-sanctioned persecution, authoritarian dictatorships, civil wars, full-scale military invasions, ethnic conflicts, and religious extremism. This disparity creates not only different lived experiences but also different theological perspectives, a diversity that offers an opportunity for profound mutual enrichment.

Christians, church leaders, and theological educators from contexts under pressure – especially those in the Majority World who have lived in the context of “armed conflicts” for decades – possess insights forged in the crucible of suffering that have much to offer their counterparts in more comfortable contexts. These lessons are not merely academic but have been tested and refined through lived experience, often spanning generations of faithful witnesses under hostile conditions. If those in the “long-term peacetime contexts” (with all respect) can hear us from the perspective of the Mission of God.

The Church under pressure understands faith not as merely an intellectual exercise but as a daily decision to remain faithful despite tangible costs. We rarely or do not have the luxury of expensive campuses, full-time theological faculty (in most cases), or academic research departments to run “relevant research.” No, it does not at all mean that having them in other, more stable contexts is wrong. When gathering for worship might result in imprisonment, when speaking truth to power could mean disappearance, when holding tons might cost employment or education, one’s convictio when you can be killed because of shelling – faith becomes distilled to its very essence, both on individual and institutional levels. Churches and seminaries from such contexts can teach their more comfortable siblings about the non-negotiable core of Christian beliefs and values.

Consider Ukraine’s journey: from the oppression of Soviet atheistic ideology, where believers faced systematic discrimination, and churches operated underground for about 70 years, through a brief period of independence (1991-2014), where churches rediscovered their identity and poured resources into Mission work (“Our Mission has not changed”) across Russia, Siberia, and Central Asia. Then came 2014, when Russian military aggression began, and Ukrainian churches responded with prayer tents at Maidan (during the Revolution of Dignity) and the first wave of military chaplain volunteers. Now, amid a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022, Ukrainian Christians navigate questions of just war, theology of citizenship, “enemy love,” trauma healing, and faithful presence amid destruction—questions that comfortable churches and ministries (although not all) often consider mainly theoretically from a distance.

Moreover, churches that have endured dictatorships understand the subtle ways that power corrupts and co-opts religious institutions, even evangelical ones. They recognize propaganda’s insidious voice and can identify when religious or imperialistic nationalism begins to supplant genuine faith. This discernment is increasingly valuable, especially for churches in more stable democracies, where the lines between patriotism and faith often blur unnoticed until they become entrenched.

The Church under pressure also demonstrates remarkable creativity in its approaches to worship, discipleship, and community formation. When traditional “Christian structures” become impossible, new models emerge: house churches, underground seminaries, memorized Scriptures, whispered liturgies, worship in basements and bomb shelters, etc. These adaptations often recapture the organic nature of early Christianity in ways that highly institutionalized churches in stable contexts have, probably, forgotten.

Perhaps most importantly, Christians who have lived under pressure also maintain a crucial theological perspective and leadership on justice, suffering, mission, theology, practices and divine presence that balances the prosperity-oriented (or “peacetime” only) theologies often prevalent in more stable settings. Because democracies and economic security allow it. We read biblical narratives of exile and persecution not as historical curiosities but as mirrors of our own experience. Our exegesis emerges not from academic detachment but from desperate seeking for divine wisdom in the midst of trials.

As global communication continues to shrink our world, the opportunity for this wisdom exchange grows. Yet, too often, the assumed direction of theological influence and leadership flows from historically Christian “great” nations of the West to the Global South and East. What is needed is not just abstract learning about the Majority World and ministry to it, but active missional and theological learning from specific contexts that are navigating complex theological questions in real-time. And it is not about Ukraine only; it is also about Congo, Sudan, Myanmar, Gaza and the whole complex Middle East and other contexts with “armed conflicts”.

This does not mean that peacetime context and theology are wrong or without value. Indeed, theological reflection cultivated in stable environments has produced profound insights into faith, ethics, and community.

However, when peacetime theology becomes dominant in global theological discourse, it often inadvertently mutes or fails to hear the voices from churches under pressure. This imbalance creates a theological blind spot where the urgent witness of suffering communities becomes marginalized as merely “contextual” in the “Majority World” rather than recognized as essential to our collective missional understanding of Christian faith.

The issue is not the existence of peacetime theology but rather its hegemony, its unquestioned primacy that can render invisible the theological contributions forged in contexts of persecution, war, and systemic oppression. What we need is not elimination but “equilibrium”, where the theological insights from both peace and pressure inform and challenge one another in mutual dialogue.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Global Church must be willing to step into these tricky waters – as the Israelites stepped into the Red Sea – with faith and courage, rather than remaining simply on the shore of theoretical academic distanced theology. This also requires moving beyond international theological and educational conferences, where “issues” are discussed from a distance, to sustained, mutual relationships where difficult questions are engaged collectively.

Ukrainian churches, for instance, have much to offer from our multilayered history of pressure: surviving Soviet oppression, building identity during independence, responding to two waves of Russian invasion, developing chaplaincy ministries amidst war etc. Our theological reflections on trauma, forgiveness, just defense, and faithful presence amid destruction are not merely contextual curiosities but can be a prophetic wisdom for the Global Body of Christ.

Yes, this exchange requires humility from all parties. Yes, those under pressure must resist the temptation of spiritual pride, but those in comfort should learn to overcome the assumption that economic and “democratic” prosperity or academic credentials or “peacetime theologies” correlate with theological sophistication.

The peace-time theologies that often dominate Mission and theological education must be willing to be challenged by theologies forged in war contexts, and to be in dialogue with them. Together, through mutual listening and learning, the Global Church can move closer to embodying the full wisdom of Christ: wisdom that encompasses both suffering and joy, war and peace, persecution and liberation.

As we journey forward, may we recognize that every context – whether marked by comfort or pressure – contributes essential perspectives to our collective understanding of faith and Mission that has not changed. The Body of Christ is strongest when all its members are heard, valued, and incorporated into our shared theological and missional imagination.

Only then can we truly reflect the multifaceted glory of God’s kingdom and fulfill our calling as witnesses to Christ’s redemptive work in our so complex and broken world.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Peace be with you and keep your children away from war.

Taras D, Ukraine
1145th day of the ongoing full-scale unprovoked Russian war