THE WAR, THE CHURCH, THE SOCIAL MEDIA

- BY KATERYNA POTAPENKO

The year 2022 was a challenge for absolutely all o institutions and agencies in Ukraine, as it not z <( only jeopardized their existence but also the survival of the entire Ukrainian people. Throughout this year, we I 0 could observe the actions of the church community in ii: a wartime, the consequences of activity or inactivity, z <( and the gratitude or sanctions that followed. The media 3 (including social networks) have played and continue to I play an important role in this struggle, both on the side of good and evil. 0 0 :2: The worst

Has Already Happened

The worst thing that could have happened to Ukrainians

0 has indeed happened. Obviously, in the face of danger the weak links have been exposed and broken, and the 0 :2: stronger ones have become even stronger. This includes the activities of the Moscow Patriarchate Church and the shocking discoveries made by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

Instead, other religious communities, such as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, and others, responded to the invasion and aggression from the first days by launching volunteer headquarters, housing people who suddenly became homeless in churches and church buildings, evacuating people from dangerous places using church authority, and organizing humanitarian aid.

The war also exacerbates problems among churches. They make their own political choices. The consequence of the political choice of churches in Ukraine was the massive transfer of believers from one patriarchate to another, as well as the prohibition for the Moscow Patriarchate to occupy the premises of historical buildings. The most high-profile "resettlement" was the state's failure to renew the lease of one of the largest Orthodox monasteries in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kyiv Cave Monastery (the main reason of this was Russia's use of the Moscow Patriarchate Church in Ukraine to propagate odious ideas that are not acceptable in modern society, and most importantly, to justify crimes against humanity).

The role of religion is enhanced in times of war

For Ukraine, the phrase "there are no non-believers in the trenches under fire" has become more than just an abstraction this year. After traumatic events, when a person realizes that he or she can die the most violent death at any moment, interest in meaning-making increases. Belonging to a religious community improves the psychological situation.

The Ukrainian church occupies a special place in shaping the socio-political course of our country and has a high level of influence on public opinion in Ukraine and determines its significant role in society.

However, we often make the mistake of perceiving the church as some kind of institutional superstructure above society, when the church is in fact a part of society. We are all citizens of our country and members of the church at the same time. We have the same worldview - we love our country. And in the face of the highest level of danger, z 0 everyone does what is within their capabilities. In this war, S2 the church plays the role of an association that inspires people to fight in such a terrible time, defending their ideals, 5:! r but continue to be Christians and citizens of their country. en

The clergyman as a psychotherapist

o z

After the stage of mobilization of society in the face of .i:. a common threat, and active humanitarian volunteering, 01 when society (it is scary to realize this) is now used to living in times of war, we are faced with another need - to support the defenders, who may need spiritual and psychological rehabilitation.

Sometimes there are cases when it is very difficult for a soldier to forgive himself. A very powerful conflict can arise inside a person. When he/she returns to civilian life, it will be difficult for him/her to get used to it. Because of this, there may be concomitant problems with self-control and adaptation. In this regard, clergymen are colleagues of psychotherapists who help a person to preserve all those guidelines for Christian morality and to get out of this difficult situation.

The same applies to victims of violence and people who have been under occupation or those who have lost everything. Unfortunately, they do not always seek professional psychological help, and even more so, they often do not recognize that they need it. Here the church has an advantage -thanks to its deep roots in folk tradition, in particular its authority in rural or small town communities, z it has much wider access to engage such people in dialogue.

Similarly, work needs to be done not only with the military and the victims and their families, but also with the general public to prepare them in the same way -to explain what is allowed, what is not desirable, and what is encouraged in communicating with people who have had traumatic experiences. The church can either become a mediator of this social dialog. I CJ By the way, a positive example of the church's work ii: with traumatized people is how the religious community immediately joined in helping Ukrainian refugees in Europe. From providing basic humanitarian aid -warm clothes or hygiene items -to free language courses in the country where they found themselves. This is undoubtedly a benchmark level of solidarity that no one expected.

What does technology have to do with it?

Many years before this war began, the Russian side had discovered the incredible power of information o technology and had perfected its use to the highest degree. Unfortunately, the rest of the world did not take its propaganda activities on social media seriously, and it is paying the price for that to this day. The main audience for such propaganda is active users, most of whom are young people.

However, this tool can also be used for good.

At the beginning of the war, the main source of operational information for the population in Ukraine was the telegram platform and local channels that reported important information about the location of Russian troops, the threat of missile attacks, and the location of shelters in a rapid response mode. This information often saved (and continues to save) the lives of Ukrainians across the country. A mobile application called "Tp111sora"(means Alarm) was created. It notifies the user about the air raid or flying missiles in case of danger using the phone's location, as well as the end of the alarm in case of repelling a missile attack. An app designed to notify the police and sappers when a potentially dangerous or suspicious object is found, etc.

Volunteer groups and local activists were organized through telegram channels to patrol the streets to protect citizens from sabotage groups.

Later, social media channels began to organize the collection of medicines and other types of humanitarian aid for those in need. Thus, in the event of missile strikes, right after the danger is gone, activists and concerned citizens gather at the scene of the incident thanks to a call through social media to help utilities clear the rubble and organize temporary housing for the victims.

In essence, such public channels on the network have now become an online version of a bulletin board that helps to connect requests and answers for those requests in the shortest possible time.

Organizing into groups of moral support and assistance is another function of social networks. Psychological support groups or just the association of like-minded people, giving basic advice - not everyone can get all this offline due to lack of time, resources, or courage.

How can Christian youth use technology in times of despair?

-organize themselves into psychological support groups through social media and communication tools (sometimes it is enough just to listen or pray together. Often in such groups, relatives of the military, the wounded, or people under occupation ask for prayers for their health and lives),

-organize online sermons/public prayers (the pandemic has taught us this tool, and now in Ukraine, people fromthe occupied territories, refugees from abroad, or military s: from the war zone can often join such public online events), 2

-share publicly stories of resilience, faith, and hope for a :;,;;: brighter future, s:

-share stories of those who need help (social media is an o 0 extremely active tool for rapid response),

-take on a mentee who is looking for moral support and stay in touch with them online (this practice of "mentoring" is very common, as not everyone can share their experiences S: )> or emotions with a large group of people}, z ;;c

-introduce religious leaders to modern communication o I tools (despite the fact that today most religious <ii institutions have pages on social media, unfortunately, z communication with parishioners online is still happens to o be quite difficult), §

-trends in social media clearly outline the range of issues r that most concern young people, so analyzing such en trends can help the Christian community focus its efforts on advocating for certain issues (for example, the most popular Bible verses that are bookmarked by users of the .i:,. YouVersion app usually relate to personal problems or dealing with anxiety},

-share and create more positive, life-affirming content (one of the ways in which Christian stories are being reinterpreted in modern times is through the creation of memes featuring biblical characters. Many of these memes were originally just jokes, but later they were used to spread spiritual ideas and provide spiritual support. It is quite possible to draw attention to an important idea with the help of memes}, etc.

All these points are seemingly obvious, but not everyone uses this guideline. All of these actions are not only relevant to societies experiencing war, but can also be a guide for behavior and advocacy on various issues in the modern world.

Social media and the individualization of religion

The times of the Covid have contributed to even greater seclusion and separation from the community. While social media and online communications greatly facilitate the exchange of information and universalize communication, it becomes more and more obvious that this contributes to 5 a greater alienation of the individual from the community physically and individualizes the content. Applications and en social media pages with posts on religious topics or quotes from the Bible facilitate solitary spiritual communication that c, takes place literally between a person and a smartphone screen; sharing verses from the Holy Scriptures on social media allows believers to find their own reading of the Bible, rather than listening to what the priest has selected for I them at Sunday Mass.

And the possibility of choice means that believers can <x: avoid doctrines they do not relate to. In this way, a new kind of Christianity is emerging in the digital age, which I imitates much of the ethics of the secular world. This form of faith is more focused on the charitable and moral side of Christianity, and relies on the fundamental principles of spirituality. This approach to faith is certainly not new. But today it is easier than ever to develop your own individual path to spirituality.

On the other hand, digital technologies mean two-way communication. People have certain expectations about what their religious community should be like and what freedoms they will have, and the church will have to adapt.

Conclusions

In times of great upheaval - and war is one of the greatest upheavals in human history - it is important to find new ways of communication and adapt quickly. But what is even more important is not to lose humanity in the process of adaptation. The latest technologies, like most human inventions, can be used for both good and bad. Fortunately, electronic communications have a wide range of uses for good, for which we can only be grateful, because despite their focus on the individual, they have become a way to unite and have greatly optimized the possibilities of targeted assistance to people in need.

Christian youth, fortunately, are actively using social media to organize themselves and respond publicly to challenges and problems, and fortunately find ways to volunteer, unite, and fulfill themselves. Churches have also taken a big step toward digitalization. Religious institutions have always adapted well to changes in society, as Christianity has undergone many transformations over the two millennia of its history. Smartphones and social media are just the latest of these changes.

Today, having such a tool of incredible influence and communication as online platforms, it would be just an ignorance not to use them to their fullest potential, knowing what opportunities this tool provides for helping those who need help.

Kateryna is a Ukrainian journalist and WSCF-E volunteer since 2018. She voiceovers books, has her own book-club, edits literature pieces and is an editor in chief of Ukrainian cultural media Cedra. In her free time she travels, plays musical instruments and learns languages.