It's tough to find a glowing article about evangelicals, especially in a publication like The New York Times. But hats off to the Times for this positive story about churches making a difference in the war-torn city of Maryinka in Ukraine. According to the article, "Maryinka, a Ukrainian-held town of apartment blocks and one-story homes outside the rebel capital of Donetsk, has become a hot spot not only for fighting, but also for saving souls. As Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists carry on an almost forgotten fight in half-deserted towns like this one, despite a year-old cease-fire, several well-organized evangelical groups are staging a campaign of their own."

After the article mentioned the "blending [of] humanitarian aid with proselytizing," it went to quote a missionary who said, "When Jesus was on Earth, he fed people and people followed him for that reason, too." It is a spiritual turning of the tables, the article noted: "When pro-Russian rebels held Slovyansk, they arrested and drove out evangelicals. Then the city changed hands, and the missionaries found their way back."

Possible Preaching Angle:

Of course, Jesus' church doesn't need an endorsement from our media elite, but it's nice to know the church around the world is doing what Jesus told us to do—seeking the lost, feeding the hungry, offering good news to the wounded.

Source:

Andrew Kramer, “In Ukraine Towns Ravaged by War, Evangelical Missionaries Find Fertile Ground,” The New York Times (3-3-16)