“Hope springs eternal in the human breast.”

Alexander Pope’s line still speaks across the centuries, especially in times like ours—marked by war, upheaval, and deep uncertainty. The truth of it is being tested in Ukraine more than anywhere else in Europe today. What is it that causes Ukrainians—bombed, displaced, bereaved—to continue believing, rebuilding, resisting, and praying? How can hope still survive such devastation?

Hope is no shallow cliché. It is the miracle that keeps the soul alive when everything else seems lost. And today, perhaps more than ever, Ukraine stands in need of this miracle.

Hope Is Not Optimism

Hope is not the same as optimism. Optimism expects things to go well. Hope holds on even when they do not. Hope is not dependent on current circumstances. Yet hope does not deny reality—it stares it in the face, and chooses to trust anyway.

As the war in Ukraine drags on—exacting unspeakable costs in human life, infrastructure, and social trust—the temptation to despair is real. Families are torn apart. Cities are scarred. Futures are put on hold. And yet, again and again, Ukrainians continue to rise each morning, clear rubble, defend their homes, teach their children, share bread, sing hymns, light candles.

This is hope in action, not sentiment. It is the heartbeat of a nation refusing to be extinguished. It is a moral and spiritual miracle.

Hope as a Moral Force

Hope is not passive. It does not sit back and wait for better days. True hope mobilizes action. It inspires resistance against evil, perseverance in hardship, and compassion toward others. It tells us: “It’s not over yet.” In times of war, oppression, or ecological crisis, hope is what keeps people working, praying, building, and dreaming.

Vaclav Havel, the Czech dissident who spent years in prison under Communism, defined hope not as the belief that things will turn out well, but as the conviction that something is worth doing no matter how it turns out. This kind of hope is prophetic, because it aligns us with God’s purposes even when we cannot yet see the fruit.

Yaroslav Hrytsak, the leading Ukrainian historian, writes about the task of rebuilding and transforming Ukraine to bring it into the status of a nation with sustainable growth… “This is challenging—nearly impossible but worth doing.”

Where Can Such Hope Come From?

It is one thing to endure, and another to hope. Endurance can be driven by instinct. But hope—true, durable, soul-deep hope—must be given. In Christian belief, hope is not manufactured by willpower. It is a gift from God.

Paul prays in Romans 15:13:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

This prayer is especially vital today—for those in Ukraine, and those standing with Ukraine. Because when circumstances offer no guarantee of victory or peace, it is God’s Spirit alone who can renew hope.

We must pray and work for Ukrainians to not only survive, but to receive this gift of supernatural hope—a hope that endures suffering, outlasts trauma, and anchors the soul beyond the visible.

The Grounds of Hope: God’s Faithfulness

Biblical hope is grounded not in naïve optimism, but in the memory of God’s past faithfulness, his promises and his purposes. The Hebrew Scriptures are full of laments that turn into hope, precisely because God had acted before—freeing slaves, feeding wanderers, raising prophets. This past became the platform for trust.

Lamentations, written in the aftermath of national catastrophe, holds a key for Ukraine:

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:21–23)

Ukrainians need this kind of hope—not based on the next military update or political summit, but grounded in the unchanging character and purposes of God.

The Goals of Hope: God’s Purposes

For followers of Christ, ultimate hope is not found in any earthly victory, but in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is not only a past event—it is the guarantee of a future where justice will be done, wrongs will be righted, and every tear wiped away.

Christian hope has a horizon. It looks toward a future where God’s justice and peace reign. It hopes not merely for individual comfort but for cosmic restoration:

“We wait eagerly for adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:23–24)

Paul in this passage reminds us that even creation groans under the weight of suffering, waiting for redemption. And so we, too, groan—but we do not despair.

The hope of the gospel includes:

• Resurrection of the body – not just survival of the soul.

• Restoration of creation – not abandonment of the world.

• New heavens and new earth – not escape, but renewal.

• The return of Christ – not myth, but majestic truth.

This hope gives meaning to our present sufferings and labors. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:58, after describing the resurrection:

“Therefore…stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.”

This hope is not escapism—it is empowerment. It fuels resistance to evil. It gives reason to rebuild. It tells us that death and destruction will not have the final word.

Hope in the Face of War

Hope is not abstract in Ukraine. It is expressed in sandbagged churches, singing soldiers, mourning mothers, and children learning in bomb shelters. It is the burning desire to believe that Ukraine will not be erased—that truth, justice, and freedom still matter.

Ukrainians are responding in the spirit of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who told the tyrant threatening their people that the God they served was able to deliver them from the blazing furnace. “But even if he does not,” they added, “we still won’t bow down to your idol.” (See Dan. 3:14-25)

Ukraine’s Call to Hope

In this time of trial, Ukraine continues to be forged—not only geopolitically, but spiritually. Amid the ruins, a deep spiritual hunger is rising. Many are turning to prayer, rediscovering the Scriptures, returning to the churches, crying out to God. The church networks are standing together in hope and enjoy high respect in the land.

Europe, too, needs this hope. As instability spreads, as democracy falters and fear grows, it is tempting to retreat into nationalism or indifference. But the Ukrainian witness calls us to more. We are reminded by their courage that hope is not passive. It is active. It builds, loves, prays, resists, believes. It says: “It’s not over. God is not finished.”

Let us stand with Ukraine not only with aid and advocacy, but also with intercession—asking God to pour out His Spirit, heal their land, and fill their people with the miracle of hope.

A Call to Solidarity

As Ukraine’s 34th Independence Day approaches on Sunday, August 24, Ukrainian faith networks have issued an urgent appeal to faith networks around the world to join them in a Global Day of Prayer on that date. Let’s not let them down, as they feel many western politicians have done with words not backed up with action. Let’s pray in our church services, around family tables and zoom gatherings that day, for truth, a just peace and freedom to prevail, and the churches in Ukraine to be beacons of hope

They write:

In this time of war and suffering, when Ukraine stands at the forefront of the global struggle for freedom and dignity, we invite the world to join in a powerful act of faith – a Global Prayer Chain for Ukraine. This international spiritual initiative is endorsed by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which unites the leaders of all major Christian denominations across the country. (See prayforukraine.org.ua)

Let us therefore heed the call of Hebrews 10:23:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,

for He who promised is faithful.”

By Jeff Fountain, Director of the Schuman Centre for European Studies