The Blood of the Martyrs

On Thursday evening I wrote my previous entry with a very heavy heart and a tremendous amount of uncertainty for what would happen next in Kiev. 

However, if you've been following the news you will know that an incredible 48 hours transpired since that Thursday evening when I sat staring blankly at my computer screen.

In what felt like a script straight out of a riveting Hollywood movie, Saturday February 22nd brought more headlines centered around Ukraine, that if the entire world hadn't been paying attention by Saturday, it was time to wake up. All eyes seemed to be on Ukraine.

The President went missing.
Yuliya Tymeshenko was freed from prison after 30 months of her 7 year term.
The parliament voted to oust the President.
The Police flee the city.
President's opulent estate is turned into a tourist attaction on the same day he flees.
Thousands flock to Maidan to mourn and pray.
Yuliya Tymeshenko wheel chair bound and only hours out of prison speaks to the crowd.
What was previously more or less a war zone is now filled with thousands of hopeful citizens.

Talk about a day to go down in history!!

Today certainly felt like a new day. A day perhaps not of certainty- but a day filled with HOPE.

I've never been more proud of Ukraine then I was today.  Walking down Hrushveskovo street, I saw families holding hands on a road that weeks ago was guarded by the Berkut (special forces).

A road where people lost lives and barricades had been built high.  Today it was free.

I saw a toddler wrapped in a Ukrainian flag sitting high a top her father's shoulders in safety.  Unaware of all that had transpired, and yet someday the history will be told to her.

Lives were lost for that little girl's future.

I saw tears of people in mourning, lighting candles in memory of those who gave their lives, fighting for ideals of freedom and a nation rid of corrupt leaders.

I saw faces of relief.  You could almost hear people breathing deeply.

There was courtesy in the air-- a love and respect of fellow man and people considering others before themselves.

It blows my mind that today, only three days after blood was spilled on these streets, the nation came out by the thousands to survey the ruin and to remember. 

Prayers were spoken from the main stage.  There was repentance!  There was praising of God and thanking God for all he had done!

As I walked the streets today and saw rubble stacked high and candles lit in remembrance, there was one song that kept running through my head.

When I had been down in this area a few weeks ago I was reminded of the song from Les Miserable, "Do You Hear the People Sing"-- especially because of all the revolutionary style barricades built meters high.  During those days I kept humming, 'do you hear the people sing, singing the songs of angry men...."

But today, in-light of this past week's spilled blood, a different line of the song was brought to my mind...it's at the very end of the song and goes like this:

Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the meadows of France!

The blood of the martyrs.  
The blood of the martyrs indeed.

That is what I felt today.  That the 100+ lives lost were not lost in vain.  That it is the blood of those martyrs that will water the meadows of Ukraine.  Oh Lord, let it be so. 

I know Ukraine has a long road ahead of her, and only part of the victory against corruption has been won.  But today my prayer is that the pages of history that were written this week will be the foundation for a new chapter for this nation. 




 

With hope for the future of Ukraine and with gratitude for all that God has done,