Participants of the roundtable “The Church and Maidan: Mission and Christian Social Responsibility" – resentatives of Protestant denominations – appealed to leaders of religious organizations, clergy, leaders of ministries and parishioners of Evangelical churches of Ukraine to protect truth and justice.
Participants of the roundtable “The Church and Maidan: Mission and Christian Social Responsibility" – resentatives of Protestant denominations – appealed to leaders of religious organizations, clergy, leaders of ministries and parishioners of Evangelical churches of Ukraine to protect truth and justice.
“Regardless of political preferences, we encourage active participation in the life of Ukrainian society and social responsibility. First of all, please strengthen your prayer: ‘I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; (1 Tim. 2:1-4, 8). Since ‘faith without works is dead’ (James 2:17, 20, 26), we also call on you to provide practical assistance to victims and the those in need as a good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) in the context of recent events (repression against Maidan activists, threats against the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, approving a series of unconstitutional laws on January 16, and escalation of the conflict on January 19, 2014),” reads the resolution.
The document's authors note that after blood was spilled on the Maidan on November 30, the church cannot remain neutral and should “call the bloody crackdown on civilians a crime and expose the perpetrators and help victims.”
“On the Maidan in Kyiv, as well as across the country, people are expressing legitimate demands to the authorities to respect freedom, dignity, and the rights of the people, to fulfill their constitutional obligations to the common good, not to abuse the power that they were given by the Ukrainian people.”
“The church reminds the government and protesters about the commandments of God, love and forgiveness, without which there is a risk that the demand of justice will end in chaos and violence. We encourage you to do your best for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. In this case, recall that each person is responsible for his or her own actions,” they said.
“We stress that the church’s main task at this time is to be the ‘salt’ and ‘light’ for society: uncompromisingly expose sin in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of political beliefs, to call on the authorities and the opposition and the people to repentance, to indicate to people the true path of salvation through Jesus Christ, in every way to help the victims, give hope,” the roundtable participants said.