Ukraine: demand for Bibles outstrips supply

The demand for Bibles in Ukraine is ‘exploding’ according to a spokesman for the Ukraine Bible Society.

The team started handing out Bibles across the country soon after the war began. Now, demand for Bibles is outstripping supply.

‘The need is exploding,’ said Rostik. ‘Our stock of Bibles is quickly diminishing. We have many more requests for Scriptures than we are even able to provide.

‘We need more Bibles because there are millions of people who are moving from the east and south to the west, and who are in desperation.

‘Nobody knows how things will unfold,’ Rostik added, ‘the demand might be way, way greater. We don’t know what kind of Ukraine there will be in a month. But what I see is the demand for Bibles increasing exponentially.’

During the war, the whole nation has, he said, turned to Psalm 31, which begins, ‘I come to you Lord for protection; never let me be defeated. You are a righteous God; save me I pray.’

Currently, wherever it is safe to do so, Rostik and his colleagues are distributing free Bibles, and other scriptures, along with humanitarian aid.

But he said the demand for Bibles in the wake of the war would be huge. ‘Even if the war ends tomorrow, can you imagine what kind of trauma is among our people? Even if the killing stops,’ he said, ‘all these people will need healing.

‘Looking at our stock, and the amount of people who are affected, the need is huge.’

Rostik and the Ukrainian team are trained in the biblically-based Trauma Healing course. It enables people to talk through their experience with trained facilitators and has been used widely among refugees in the Middle East.

Now the Ukrainian team is putting those fleeing their homes in touch with local churches where trained facilitators can help them.

The demand is only set to grow as the UN reports that some 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine in the first 12 days of the war.