‘Ukraine Today, Taiwan Tomorrow’? Island’s Christians Warily Watch and Pray

Few Taiwanese churches are willing to speak out on China-related political issues, surprising believers who left Hong Kong. But all leaders call for peace-seeking.

Several weeks before Russia’s invasion, Ray Peng, the chairman of United Missions of Taiwan, was gathered in Asia with international missionaries who prayed for both Ukraine and Taiwan. Many in the group approached him, as the only Taiwanese in the room, to express their concern for his homeland’s situation.

Yet later when Peng scrolled through his Facebook newsfeed, his friends back on the island were posting cheery photos of hot pot gatherings and vowing to lose weight after stuffing themselves over the Chinese New Year holiday. It felt like his fellow missionaries were talking about a different Taiwan.

“It was really weird,” said Peng. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

He compared the typical nonchalance of the Taiwanese people to his in-laws who live in the earthquake-prone city of Hualien on the east coast of Taiwan. An earthquake once hit while Peng visited them and he was immediately concerned by its strength. But his in-laws brushed it off as they were accustomed to the tremors. Likewise, Taiwanese who have lived under the threat of invasion by mainland China their whole lives go on with daily life without thinking too much about it.

But the cracks began to show on February 24.

The Russian invasion has resonated with many Taiwanese emotionally as they have watched news clips from Ukraine of what could one day become their own reality. Online, some declare it’s “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow,” while pundits debate whether the US military would really come to Taipei’s aid in the case of an invasion by Beijing. TV news stations have recommended what to include in emergency packs (such as Japanese canned bread).

Yet on Sunday mornings, many churches don’t ...