I signed off last time with an urgent request for prayer, sensing that the situation in Kyiv was at a critical point. Since then, we saw an all-out violent assault on Maidan, in which scores of people were killed, the majority shot in the street by snipers, an abortive attempt at a “negotiated settlement” (which…
Month: February 2014
Mission as transformation
Because it sums up a lot of what I’ve heard from fellow believers and Ukraine, and illustrates the above post on what “real people” need in times of crisis, I pass along the following blog, posted around the time of my visit, by Mykhailo Cherenkov of Association for Spiritual Renewal. I believe he has a…
Prayer on Maidan
Following on my last post about the significance of spiritual unity, particularly prayer, on Maidan in Kyiv these days, I wanted to pass along my translation of a post “Euromaidan on its knees” that illustrates it well. The original can be found at: http://paus144.livejournal.com/20705.html It was an indescribable sight! I saw it with my own…
The heart of Maidan – touched by prayer
It was -15F, the frost on the window next to my bed has become a thick coating of ice. But the sun is shining for the first time since I arrived. I had an opportunity to meet with Sergei, an evangelical leader whom I had not seen for many years. We met at a nice…
Job’s friends
Writing my last post on “objectivity” I was reminded of a Facebook post I read by Mykhailo Cherenkov, who I have read and respected for years. I think it’s relevant… and for those who wish to lead in a global sphere, or just be a helpful member in the global body of Christ, these words…
When objectivity breaks down
Despite the fact that Kierkegaard thought that “Truth is Subjectivity” there are some good things to be said for objectivity. But what often passes today for objectivity can be anything but. Here is a bad recipe for being objective: 1) Identify the different positions or perspectives involved. 2) Hear them all equally and balance each…
Leadership failure on Maidan
In the last 10 days of January, things in Ukraine changed, and people around the world began to take notice. Sad to say, but, given the “Hollywood mentality” of many in the “developed” world, nothing really important happens anywhere until a) it gets covered by our media of choice and b) there are pictures and…
Learning to learn from those who have been taught. Observations from Kyiv
The news hasn’t changed much since I left Kyiv last week. It remains a tense standoff, without clear directions as to how to defuse it, with prospects for resolution developing along vectors that include splitting apart the country, massive damage and loss of life, civil war or financial and/or governmental collapse. Meanwhile, the country muddles…
Mill Pond Porch 