The first episode of Faith Without Frontiers, a newly launched global podcast by Christian Daily International, brings listeners into a deeply personal account of war, displacement and faith through the voices of Ukrainian theologian Valentyn Syniy and his wife, Luba.
Hosted by Gordon Showell-Rogers, the weekly podcast series aims to highlight how Christian faith intersects with real-world challenges across cultures and regions. The opening episode, titled “They Stole Our Home: Transformed by War,” sets the tone with a conversation shaped by lived experience rather than abstract analysis.
Syniy, president of the Tavriysky Christian Institute in Ukraine, recounts the upheaval of leaving his hometown of Kherson following Russia’s occupation, describing not only the loss of physical structures but the deeper rupture of identity and belonging. The couple reflects on the meaning of “home” as more than a place—encompassing family, church, city and nation—and how that understanding is reshaped under the pressures of war.
Without detailing every moment of their story, the episode touches on the forced relocation of an entire seminary community, the destruction and repurposing of its campus, and the personal cost of conflict, including the loss of colleagues and students. At the same time, it hints at unexpected developments, such as new churches emerging among Ukrainian refugees across Europe and ongoing efforts to train chaplains and peacebuilders amid the crisis.
Throughout the conversation, the Syniys also grapple with difficult theological and moral questions, including the nature of reconciliation and the challenges of maintaining faith when suffering is inflicted not only by enemies but, at times, by fellow Christians.
As Christian Daily International expands its multimedia storytelling, Faith Without Frontiers seeks to offer listeners a window into global Christian experiences that are often underreported or misunderstood. The debut episode provides only a glimpse into the Syniys’ story, inviting audiences to hear the full conversation and engage more deeply with the human realities behind headlines.
