Call it what it is: wicked!
I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew. I certainly hope so. If Vladimir Putin was hoping for a quick capitulation by the Ukrainian people, he is surely disappointed. Though outmanned and outgunned, the Ukrainians have risen up in defense of their country in what can only be described as heroic. Putin underestimated the courage and resolve of these people and, the longer it goes on, the more isolated Putin becomes and the more he is likely to regret his own megalomanic instincts.
Doug Burleigh, one of our mission partners, has devoted decades of his life to raising up and supporting Christian leaders in the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine…AND Russia. I asked for him to share his thoughts:
Every friend I have in high places–several former Presidents, a former Prime Minister, numerous cabinet ministers and a large number of Parliament members are hunkering down at the Capital, Kiev. These folks, including President Zelensky, are true heroes because they love their country, seemingly more than their own lives. I am sharing this Wednesday morning as the forty-mile-long convoy enters the cities of Kiev and Kharkov, the two largest cities. The concern is a blockade is planned to shut off deliveries of food and munitions.
An interesting note is in talking with a number of Russian friends, I have yet to encounter one who is not shocked and horrified by this debacle. (That is encouraging and the riots are in every major Russian city. Last Sunday alone, 7000 were arrested for protesting against the war…)
…Thanks for mobilizing folks there for prayer. It is truly a spiritual battle. As I have told you, these dear Ukrainian folks have [organized] 76 local Prayer Breakfasts in every region of Ukraine–amazing zeal and love for Christ and country!
Blessings, Doug
We must call out this unprovoked attack on a sovereign people for what it is: pure evil. Putin is a KGB thug bent on restoring the “glories” of the former Soviet Union, such as they were. Eighty years ago, the world sat back and watched as another thug annexed the Sudetenland, a small section of German-speaking Czechoslovakia and, emboldened by the world’s acquiescence, marched into Poland in September, the first of 11 countries to be invaded by the Nazis. Will the world stand by again?
Join me in praying for the courageous Ukrainian people…and against the wickedness of this invasion. Chapel Hill is committed to action, too. See our resource page on how to connect and help. As Jesus encouraged, let us pray: “Deliver us from evil!”
Rev. Mark Toone
Senior Pastor, Chapel Hill Church