Voice of Ukraine

From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1385)

Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
Psalm 34:9

These days feel very dark because of the power outages (a total of 8-12 hours of electricity divided into 3 slots) and the news. Once again, I feel like I’m choking from all the manipulation and repetition of russian propaganda. It is encouraging to see recent polls from the US indicating that a substantial majority (62%) wants Ukraine to prevail, and 64% support sending U.S. weapons, which is up 9 points from last year (59% of Republicans, 75% of Democrats). Knowing that we have people who care, pray, and support means a lot, yet the news still feels disheartening.

My husband and I were talking about a recent Ukrainian movie, “U are the Universe.” It was presented at several international film festivals, and you might have a chance to catch it in large cities abroad. This sci-fi film is not Christian and is rated PG-13 for intense plot twists and some profanity, yet I feel that this movie is very relevant to us. According to the plot, a Ukrainian space trucker becomes the last person in the universe after the Earth explodes. All of a sudden, he receives a call from a French woman, also stranded on a distant space station, so he sets out to help her.

Why am I talking so much about this movie? Because this main character is an ordinary guy, not too bright, definitely not eloquent, not appealing in a traditional Hollywood way. However, when the world literally falls apart, he can choose his own comfort (and inevitable death, even though postponed at the moment), or he can choose to make a difference for another person, even if it could mean die trying. As he makes his choice, he says (it’s my paraphrasing), “It’s not life, it’s existence, but perhaps I can take a chance now because many people die for nothing, but I get to be there for someone who needs me.” I love how this film shows that heroes are not born, but they come from life choices.

Even though the movie was written seven years ago and filming began before the full-scale war, I believe it brilliantly captures our current situation. Ukrainians are not unique or specially gifted in resilience, but when our world falls apart, we’d rather master the circumstances and make a difference where we can than choose complacency and fall victim to the circumstances.

I wish more people would choose a life filled with sense rather than a life filled with comfort. And that’s what comes from the fear of the Lord.