The most searched Ukrainian term on Bible app in 2022

By Bob Burckle, Op-ed contributor Sunday, January 15, 2023

Worshipers leave Sunday service at Sukovska Baptist church on June 19, 2022, in Druzhkivka, Ukraine. Services were held in a small tent in the back of the church because the building was heavily damaged by a recent missile strike. In recent weeks, Russia has concentrated its firepower on Ukraine's Donbas region, where it has long backed two separatist regions at war with the Ukrainian government since 2014. | Scott Olson/Getty Images

When YouVersion recently released its end-of-year results on the most searched verse and keywords on their Bible app for 2022, we were not surprised at all to see that the most-searched term in the Ukrainian language Bible was love. Yet this is despite the ongoing attacks and devastating warfare they are currently experiencing.

They recognize that this is not just a war between two countries. It’s a war between good and evil, a war between light and darkness. As one Ukrainian evangelist recently stated, “Our spiritual weapon is love, which is impossible to defeat. With the love of Christ, evil has no chance. We continue to visit and supply our people with needed humanitarian items, while always encouraging them to place their hope and faith in the Lord.”

What many people may not realize is that a great percentage of Ukrainians are believers. They were recipients of Bibles smuggled behind the Iron Curtain by our organization, EEM (Eastern European Mission), and other ministries, starting as far back as 1961. Over the last few years, approximately 75% of the country’s school districts have invited us to provide Bibles and biblical literature to their public schools. That is why we view Ukraine as the “Bible Belt” of Europe.

Many might ask, how can they respond with such an attitude when they’ve experienced so much abuse and trauma? The Gospel provides answers through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, who loves, cares, has compassion, and cries for us. He does not pass by those who need help but always extends a helping hand.

Supporting them in their need

The Ukrainian people are looking for peace, hope, and strength to endure. One of the peculiarities of war is the inability to make plans for the future. So as the Ukrainians are living out these teachings of Jesus during this time of turmoil and uncertainty, how can we best support them, especially during this season when so many of them are without heat and facing a harsh winter? The simplest answer is that we can give out of our abundance. We have so much despite inflation and rising costs. If we can handle a few more dollars for our weekly groceries, we can also handle a few more dollars for humanitarian aid, so that we can provide heat and clean water in Ukraine.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18, NIV).

We are hearing that the most recent attacks and the worsening conditions are sending another wave of refugees into western Ukraine and the surrounding nations. This displacement is creating a great need for temporary shelter, clothing, food, and other essentials for those in transit. Further, and most importantly, it has created a need for those who don’t yet have a copy of God’s Word in their native language — or for those believers who have already given their copies away or had their copies destroyed when their houses were bombed.

We know the source of Ukrainians’ hope and love during this time — and yes, even joy. And it is vital we get that source, the Bible, into the hands — and hearts — of as many people as possible during this devastating season. It is the only tool that will see them through mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, no matter what is happening physically around them.

Our national director of Ukrainian Operations, Dasha Novikova, shared recently about a homeless Ukrainian mother Irina who represents many of those in direst need this winter. They are desperate for generators, winter clothing, solar-charged power stations, food, water, medical supplies, and more bomb shelters as Russia’s ongoing bombing damage power grids needed to sustain Ukrainians through the coldest months.

Generosity towards those in need should never be confined to a single cause or time of year. Let’s start January off by continuing that generosity into the new year, this time to aid Ukrainians in dire need. And for those who aren’t in a place to provide financial support, moms like Dasha and Irina would also appreciate your prayers. Pray for their children’s health and safety, and for peace in Ukraine. And most importantly, pray that any Ukrainians who don’t yet know God’s love would come to experience it for themselves this winter through believers serving as the hands and feet of Jesus during this time.

Bob Burckle is President of EEM (Eastern European Mission), which has been providing Bibles to the people of Eastern Europe since 1961, now reaching 32 countries in 25 languages. They launched a humanitarian aid campaign for Ukraine at the onset of the war and are inviting people to give again to replenish the fund this winter at www.eem.org/ukraineaid.