4 years Latter: Faith, compasion, and Obience

It is hard to believe, but four years have passed since the war in Ukraine broke out.

We all remember how it started. We remember the first images: long lines of refugees, mostly women with children, standing in the freezing cold at the Polish border. We remember the fear in their eyes — fear for their husbands and fathers who stayed behind, fear for their homes, fear of the unknown future. Those images are forever etched in our hearts.

Yet within that tragedy, there was also something extraordinary. There was love in action. There was compassion. There was a remarkable movement of people who simply wanted to help another human being. Strangers opened their homes. Volunteers stood in the cold with hot tea and blankets. Communities gathered supplies, offered transportation, prayed, and gave generously. In the midst of darkness, light was shining.

Four years of war against all odds. Four years of endurance, sacrifice, loss, and courage.

For me personally, the war in Ukraine changed a great deal — most of all, it changed me. I discovered that helping others brings unexpected blessings. Again and again, I witnessed what I can only describe as God in action. I saw doors open when there seemed to be no way forward. I saw strength given when human strength was gone. I saw mountains move.

At the same time, it was a season of growth and learning to cope. It meant learning to trust the Lord more deeply. It meant carrying stories of pain, grief, and devastation — and bringing them back home in my heart each time I returned from Ukraine. Human tragedy has a weight, and it does not disappear easily. But neither does God’s faithfulness.

Today, there is much politics involved and many strong emotions. There are things we do not fully understand. But one thing is clear to me: what God requires of me. He requires three things — to act justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8).

One of the most important lessons for me, though sometimes difficult to accept, is this: I do not help because someone deserves it. I help because Jesus gives this responsibility to all His disciples. “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat” (Matthew 25:35). Compassion is not a reward system; it is obedience. It is love expressed in action.

Four years later, the war continues. So must our faith. So must our compassion. So must our willingness to stand with those who suffer.

May we continue to act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly — wherever we are called.

Marek Pasnik