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Rebuilding Ukraine's Economy after War · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome back to Reform Thinking. Today we're diving into the deep
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dive where we take your sources, peel back the layers and bring
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you the core insights along with some surprising facts to get you
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truly well informed. Our focus today is on a crucial
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topic with vast human and economic implications, Ukraine
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reconstruction. You've brought us a
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comprehensive set of materials, and what's especially striking
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is how they outline a vision for economic renewal that's well
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grounded in a distinct theological framework.
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Indeed, and our task for this deep dive is to unpack the sheer
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scale of the challenges Ukraine faces.
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We need to assess the innovative solutions being proposed and
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really understand how a distinct reformed theological framework
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is presented as guiding these efforts.
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This isn't just about spreadsheets or, you know,
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rebuilding bridges. It's about discerning how a
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nation can rebuild its physical and moral foundations from the
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ground up. OK, so how do we even begin to
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grasp the sheer scope of this national rebuilding effort?
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Where do we start? Well, the sources make it very
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clear that the immediate reality is 1 of staggering devastation.
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The war has left just a vast economic scar on Ukraine.
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Think about this, a joint Rapid Damage and Needs assessment
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released back in February 2025. This is put together by Kiev,
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the World Bank, the European Commission and the UN.
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They calculate the 10 year reconstruction bill at a truly
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staggering US $524 billion. 524 billion.
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That figure is just immense. To put that into perspective for
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you, the sources tell us this amount is nearly three times
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Ukraine's expected 2024 economic output and almost triple its
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projected 2024 GDP. But the cost isn't just
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financial, is it? There's a profound human aspect
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here. Oh.
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Absolutely. Almost 2.5 million households
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have lost their homes. That's millions of families.
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And we're talking about between 3.6 to 3.8 million Ukrainians
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displaced internally, plus another 6.8 million in exile
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abroad. That's led to a severely
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diminished labor pool, fractured families.
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It's a truly heart wrenching loss.
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It is, and the physical damage to critical infrastructure just
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keeps mounting. Energy facilities are the most
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severely impacted. The sources say there's been a
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70% increase in damage since the previous assessment. 70% That
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casts serious doubt on their ability to withstand the coming
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winter, doesn't it? It really does, and the sources
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highlight the constant threat. They mentioned a July 3rd, 2025
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attack on Odessa that destroyed newly rebuilt port Transformers,
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and tragically it resulted in worker fatalities.
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It's this constant battle against ongoing missile strikes
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where anything rebuilt is immediately threatened again.
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So despite these massive needs, is there any immediate financial
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relief being provided or are they facing this completely on
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their own right now? Well, there are efforts,
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certainly, but a significant gap remains.
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The 2025 state budget, for instance, it earmarked about US
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$7.37 billion for urgent repairs, but the sources
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indicate A financing gap of nearly US $10 billion still
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remains just for these immediate urgent repairs. 10 billion short
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just for the urgent stuff. That's a shortfall that needs to
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be addressed incredibly quickly. Yes it does.
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That truly frames the immediate scale of the problem.
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But let's broaden our view a bit.
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What are the present multi layered challenges facing
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Ukraine beyond just the physical damage we've discussed?
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Right beyond the sheer physical destruction, a critical issue is
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the erosion of public trust and the the ongoing fight against
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corruption. The sources describe an incident
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in late July 2025. President Zelensky apparently
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back a bill trying to reduce the independence of key anti
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corruption bodies. We're talking about NBU, the
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National Anti Corruption Bureau, and SAPO, the specialized anti
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Corruption Prosecutor's office. That sounds problematic,
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especially now. It was.
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It prompted St. protests and a pretty stark warning from
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Brussels about potentially freezing 3 billion in funding.
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This whole episode really shows that righteous governance isn't
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just some moral aspiration, it's a practical gatekeeper of
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solvency for a nation relying on foreign capital and public
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trust. That's a crucial point,
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connecting governance directly to financial stability and the
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flow of international aid. What about the physical flow of
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goods and resources within the country?
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How is that faring supply chains are severely constricted.
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Ukraine, which was once a huge global grain exporter, well now
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it's grain production has fallen 29% below its five year average.
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29%, that's a massive drop. It is, and consecutive strikes
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on the Black Sea and lower Danube terminals have severely
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cut insured vessel calls, which creates these huge logistical
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bottlenecks. Even rail diversions are limited
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by locomotive shortages and you know the different track gauges
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between Ukraine and its neighbors.
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It causes inland storage pile ups and really depresses farm
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prices just when farmers need capital the most to recede.
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So it hits hard at the very foundation of their agricultural
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economy. And what about the human element
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of this crisis? How has this conflict shaped the
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minds and choices of the Ukrainian people themselves,
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particularly regarding migration?
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Yeah, the impact on, let's call it the human psyche and
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migratory choices presents a really serious hurdle.
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Clinical surveys indicate post traumatic stress in nearly 30%
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of adult refugees. 30%, that's almost one in three.
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Yes, and children. Children haven't experienced a
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single siren free semester. Think about that.
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Constant disruption fear a fractured education.
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The sources warn the country faces the risk of a burnout
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generation if psychological and educational aid aren't deeply
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integrated into reconstruction efforts.
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And the population numbers reflect this drain, don't they?
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Drastically, Ukraine's population has fallen from about
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53,000,000 back in 1992 to barely 31 million living under
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Kiev's flag in 2023, and this is compounded by having the world's
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lowest birth rate, which points towards a looming demographic
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crisis. On that note, the sources also
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highlight damage to educational and cultural infrastructure.
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Over 3373 schools damaged, 385 of them completely leveled.
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The replacement cost is over US $13 billion and cultural
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monument scarred too, representing a deep ruin to
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national identity. They certainly are, as the
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sources put it, the nation's most important capital, soul,
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shaped by truth, beauty and covenant family, is declining.
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So given these truly daunting realities, the devastation, the
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governance challenges, the human toll, how do the sources propose
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a vision of hope and silver minded stewardship?
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What's the guiding philosophy here?
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It's interesting the sources frame reconstruction as starting
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with Christian hope, but this hope isn't based on, you know,
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wishful thinking of its destruction.
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It's grounded in the absolute sovereignty of God who, as Psalm
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24.1 states, owns the earth and its fullness.
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OK, so this perspective views economic recovery as, and I
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quote covenantal before it is technical.
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It calls for righteous rulers, industrious citizens and
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community welfare, drawing directly on biblical
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instruction. So it's not simply about
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repairing what's broken, it's about recommissioning every
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aspect of society with a renewed sense of purpose under God.
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Precisely. It's a call to sober minded
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stewardship to clear the rubble, yes, but also to reinforce
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honest institutions and recommission every sector to
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work under God's blessing. The ultimate aim presented is
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that this reconstruction is seen not just as an economic program,
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but as a public witness to the Gospels ability to rebuild what
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has been destroyed, like a living parable of resurrection
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grace. That brings us neatly to the
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core theological principles guiding this vision for
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rebuilding. Let's start with the idea of
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God's sovereignty and common grace.
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How do these, well, fairly abstract ideas specifically
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shape the reconstruction blueprint on the ground?
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Right. They might seem abstract, but
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they're foundational. Here.
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God's absolute sovereignty means humans are stewards of His
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creation, not its ultimate owners.
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The sources keep coming back to Psalm 24.1.
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The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.
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It reminds planners they're managing another state, if you
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will. Like a trusted manager.
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Exactly. And flowing from this is the
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concept of common grace. Yeah, this is the idea that God
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bestows skills, ideas, natural resources on all people
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regardless of their belief. This doctrine is seen as
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liberating Ukraine to use secular skills, foreign capital,
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cutting edge technology without compromising its spiritual
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identity. Why?
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Because all good gifts originate from God, it means they can
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partner with anyone who brings good gifts to the table.
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That's a powerful point of integration, allowing for
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practical solutions without sacrificing spiritual
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conviction. How does this connect to
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governance within this framework?
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Well, the magistrate for the governing authority has a Romans
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13 mandate to reward good and punish evil.
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So this means honest courts, transparent procurement,
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diligent policing. These aren't just bureaucratic
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tasks, they're seen as liturgical acts of obedience.
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Acknowledging Christ's rule, the sources argue the very first
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building block of economic renewal is moral re enthrone
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righteousness in public life so common grace can flow unimpeded.
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It's about creating fertile ground.
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OK, so from God's sovereignty we move to the anthropology of the
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imago dei, the image of God in humanity.
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How does recognizing human dignity guide economic policy in
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this framework? Humans created in God's image
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are commanded to fill the earth and subdue it.
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That's the cultural mandate from Genesis 1.28.
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This command gives dignity to all lawful labor, whether it's
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driving tractors or writing code.
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This viewpoint refuses to see displaced persons, widows, or
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veterans as mere liabilities or just, you know, human capital to
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be managed. Instead, it sees them as artisms
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and waiting, whose latent creativity can be summoned
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forth, bringing beauty and productivity even from
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brokenness. That reframes a challenge into
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an opportunity for human potential, seeing individuals as
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contributors, not just recipients.
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What are the practical policy implications of this vision,
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then? Policies should aim to liberate
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initiative, things like clear property rights, low barriers
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for small firms to enter the market, vocational training
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that's accessible to the poor, and welfare programs that focus
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on rehabilitation rather than just continuous subsidy.
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The goal is always moving individuals closer to self,
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governing productivity because as the sources put it,
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productivity is worship and overalls.
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Every act of honest work is potentially an act of worship.
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It sounds like a clear rejection of a purely technocratic
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approach to human potential. Next, let's explore Abraham
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Kuiper's concept of covenantal sphere sovereignty.
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How does this shape society's reconstruction, particularly in
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a post conflict environment? Kuiper Yes, Sphere sovereignty
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describes society as composed of distinct coordinate
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jurisdictions, family, church, state, market, school, Guild,
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and so on, each operating directly under God, and
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therefore they shouldn't be merged or have one dominate the
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others. OK, so distinct spheres.
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Right, and this principle guards against two common problems in
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post conflict nations, anarchic fragmentation where everything
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falls apart, and Leviathan centralism, which is basically
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state overreach, the war, necessarily concentrated
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authority, and Kiev peace. This, you suggest, must now
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disperse it back to its proper spheres.
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Can you give us some practical examples of how this plays out
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in the Ukrainian context? Sure, municipalities for
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example, should manage local St. repairs.
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They're closest to the problem. Church based NGOs might deliver
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trauma counseling more effectively with more cultural
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sensitivity than some centralized ministry.
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Family farms need secure land titles free from oligarchic
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encroachment, allowing them to truly own and work their land.
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The state enforces contracts, defends borders.
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The church proclaims the gospel and starts conscience.
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The family nurtures generational capital.
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Businesses create goods and jobs.
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It provides essential checks and balances, preventing one sphere
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from expanding beyond its charter and sort of swallowing
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up its neighbors. It helps build a more robust
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society. That's a very clear division of
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Labor for the various parts of society.
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Finally, in this section, let's discuss vocation and Sabbath
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economics, how to work and rest balance in this reconstruction
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vision, especially when there's just so much urgent work to do.
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That's a key tension, isn't it? The Reformed doctrine of
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vocation teaches that all lawful labor is priestly service.
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So Ukrainians rebuilding power lines or cultivating D mine
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fields are in this view engaged in service to God.
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However, and this is crucial, this vocational zeal is balanced
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with creational limits, especially the Sabbath's
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principle of rest, which comes right from Genesis 2, where God
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himself rested. It's a rhythm built into
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creation. So what does that mean for real
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world policy applications? How can REST actually be
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legislated or encouraged? Well, policy should guarantee a
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weekly rest day. They should encourage family
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time and actively discourage those 247 work cycles.
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These are seen as scaffolding for humane, sustainable
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productivity. The sources also mentioned
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drawing inspiration from gleaning laws and jubilee
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patterns from the Old Testament. Gleaning and jubilee, How does
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that translate? It suggests that markets should
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be, let's say, girded by mercy. Things like microcredit for
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startups. Bankruptcy rules that temper
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debt slavery, preventing people from being crushed by debt.
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Social safety Nets designed to preserve households, not just
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individuals. This whole approach aims to
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energize reconstruction while guarding against burnout or
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harmful exploitative capitalism. It tries to inoculate the effort
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against idolatrous overwork or predatory practices.
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OK moving from those theological foundations to the
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practicalities of governance. Strengthening anti corruption
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bodies is identified as a cornerstone of this
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reconstruction effort. Given Ukraine's history, what
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makes this so critical right now?
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Yeah, it's absolutely critical. The sources point back to that
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July 2025 incident we mentioned where President Zelensky back to
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Bill threatening the independence of Debbie U and
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Sepio. The resulting protests and the
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warning from Brussels about freezing 3 billion in funding
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really hammered home the point. Righteous governance isn't some
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optional extra. It's the gatekeeper of solvency,
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especially when you rely on foreign capital.
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Without it, trust with international partners just
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evaporates. So what are the specific
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recommendations to ensure these bodies maintain their
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independence and effectiveness, especially when political
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pressures inevitably arise? The main things are
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constitutionally entrenching MEU and SAPIO independence, ensuring
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merit based appointments for their chiefs, and publishing
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their budgets quarterly for full transparency.
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Beyond that, there's a big push for procurement reform.
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Public procurement should transition from paper trails to
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tamper proof code. Tamper proof code?
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How does that work? It involves integrating
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Ukraine's existing Prosora marketplace, their electronic
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public procurement system, with blockchain technology.
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The idea is to trace funds transparently all the way from
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the donor to the final recipient.
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It makes Graph much harder to hide, ideally deterring it
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before it starts. These reforms are framed as
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liturgical acts of repentance, swapping unjust measures for
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honest ones, pleasing God and inviting common grace.
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You see? Right.
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Another critical aspect of righteous governance mentioned
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is the restitution of property and clear title.
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How does the war complicate this, and what solutions are
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proposed to bring clarity and security to property ownership?
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Well, the war has displaced millions and damaged Land
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Registry offices, the cadastral offices.
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This creates a kind of fog where opportunities for land grabs and
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bureaucratic rent seeking can thrive.
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While new rules in March 2025 streamlined electronic title
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searches, the sources say backlogs persist for months,
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leaving many people uncertain about their ownership.
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The sources reference biblical precedents here, like Exodus 22
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and Nehemiah 5, which talk about restoring stolen property and
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ensuring fair land distribution. So how can those biblical
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patterns be applied today, especially using modern
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technology? The proposals include launching
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fast track restitution courts in every oblast, staffed by judges
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from less affected regions and supervised by international
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observers to ensure impartiality, and
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technologically implementing digital twins of deeds.
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Digital Twins. Yeah, essentially creating an
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unalterable, cryptographically secure digital copy of every
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land title. It would be hashed, time
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stamped, and stored across redundant servers.
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This anchors a national cadastra that's immune to arson or
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cyberattack. Think of it as an unhackable,
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unburnable, universally verifiable digital ID for every
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piece of land. That sounds incredibly secure.
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It's meant to be plus compensation.
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Funds partly financed by those frozen Russian assets we
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discussed could issue tradable restoration bonds for buildings
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damaged beyond repair. This aims to restore economic
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agency and boost confidence for investors.
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If they see enforceable title, they're more likely to invest.
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This brings us to subsidiarity and decentralization.
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How does the principle of local authority play into effective
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governance for reconstruction? Subsidiarity basically means
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authority should be exercised as close to the problem as
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possible. While some tax powers were
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transferred down to the Ramadas, the municipalities starting back
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in 2014, martial law understandably recentralized
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many decisions. The reform proposed is for the
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government to complete that decentralization process.
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This would involve transforming local state administrations into
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prefectures accountable to elected councils and EU style
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art chambers. It pushes decision making and
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accountability closer to the people affected.
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How would international donors support this decentralization
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effort? It sounds good in principle, but
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how do you make it work? Donors can reinforce it by
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routing a fixed share. The example given is 30% of
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reconstruction grants directly to transparent municipalities,
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municipalities that publish their contracts on Prosoro and
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undergo civil society audits. Churches and local NGOs, who are
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often already trusted as aid hubs, could serve as volunteer
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monitors, keeping an eye on how funds are spent locally.
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This aims to fertilize social capital, making citizens more
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willing to pay taxes and comply when they see tangible results
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in their own communities. It multiplies state capacity
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without coercion. Finally, let's discuss the
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proposed ethical fiscal framework.
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What measures are suggested for responsible financial management
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looking towards the long term? The framework proposes
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legislating a medium term debt anchor, for example capping
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public debt at 60% of GDP by 2032.
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This is explicitly grounded in the Mosaic admonition against
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deficit borrowing from future generations.
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That's Deuteronomy 15 and the Pauline call to Oh no one
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anything from Romans 13.8. Interesting biblical grounding
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for fiscal policy. What other measures?
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Migrating all quasi fiscal operations that's government
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like spending happening outside the regular budget onto the
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Treasury's single account account for full visibility.
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Ministries must also publish financial statements compliant
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with international public sector accounting standards, IPSAS for
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transparency. This allows investors and
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taxpayers to see the true state of the nation's finances.
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And there's even a symbolic reform mentioned, a nod to this
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theological grounding. Yes, resurrecting the pre war
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plan to engrave Psalm one O 1.6. I will look with favor on the
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faithful in the land on the annual budget cover.
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It serves as a constant reminder to legislators that balance
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sheets, just like Thrones, are ultimately secured by
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righteousness. When fraud is punished, property
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protected, local authorities empowered, and the books are
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honest, that's when the moral scaffolding of the economy is
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truly rebuilt. With that governance framework
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hopefully being put in place, let's turn our attention to the
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priority sectors for economic renewal.
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And as the sources put it, nothing works without light and
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heat. So let's start with energy
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sector resilience. What's the vision for rebuilding
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Ukraine's energy infrastructure? Yeah, they mean that quite
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literally. The EU has earmarked 265,000,000
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specifically for stabilizing Ukraine's crippled grid.
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Things like replacing scorched Transformers, pre positioning
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mobile gas turbines for emergencies.
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But the central idea here is decentralization, a rapid build
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out of rooftop solar and battery storage.
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OK. So moving away from big central
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power plants. To some extent, yes.
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The vision is for a lattice of micro grids.
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These can spread risk and keep essential services like
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hospitals and water pumps running even during attacks.
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It makes the whole system less vulnerable than relying on a few
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easily targeted central nodes. That's a smart strategy for
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security, decentralizing the risk.
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What's the long range vision for this approach?
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The goal is that by 2028, maybe a 10th of national capacity
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could come from such community scale renewables.
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This would help insulate the economy from both external
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threats and, frankly, oligarchic monopolies in the energy sector.
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The source is also mentioned a neat practical theological
20:20
application. Seminary annexes are piloting
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electrician certificates. They're pairing training on
20:26
solar panel installation with work as worship courses.
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So it's not just technical skill, it's viewing the repair
20:31
of the grid as faithful service. Interesting.
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Beyond energy, Ukraine has always been a major player in
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global food production. What's the plan for agricultural
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ventality, especially with the current disruptions?
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Well, as we said, grain output has fallen sharply, 29% below
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the five year average and port strikes keep worsening the
20:50
global food price situation. So policies are proposed to
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cushion farmers without creating dependency.
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This includes things like risk sharing, crop insurance
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capitalized by donor funds, confessional credit, basically
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loans a very favorable terms to rebuild damaged combines and
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equipment, helping farmers get back on their feet quickly
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without crushing debt, and fast tracking rail links to the
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Danube to bypass those missile threatened Black Sea roads.
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And are there community models that integrate the theological
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vision here, like we saw in the energy sector?
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Yes, the sources suggest agrarian cooperatives managed on
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Christian bylaws. These could incorporate
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principles like shared machinery, mandated Sabbath rest
21:29
for workers, and land and profit tides set aside for widows and
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orphans in the community. This offers a model of
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productivity married to mercy, ensuring economic activity also
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supports the most vulnerable. The underlying idea is that when
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farmers have secure title deeds and reliable export corridors,
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they sow with hope. And transparent pricing draws
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foreign traders, multiplying liquidity through trust.
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Next up, small and medium sized enterprises, SM ES often called
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the backbone of an economy, but they're particularly vulnerable
22:00
during wartime, especially finding credit.
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How are they being supported? They are indeed very vulnerable.
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The sources note that on July 10th, 2025, the European
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Investment Bank announced almost 600 million in fresh financing
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specifically for Ukrainian firms.
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Half of that is in loan guarantees, the other half in
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direct credit. The sources also suggest
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contributions for the state and the church.
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How would that work? The state could offer something
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like a five year tax holiday for family run firms under 50
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employees provided they reinvest, say at least 80% of
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their profit back into the business.
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And micro loan funds from churches and diaspora
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philanthropies could specifically target veteran and
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widow LED ventures. So using existing community
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structures for support. Exactly, And the sources even
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suggest that community elders who might already be mentoring
22:48
mayors on integrity could sit on local loan committees.
22:52
The idea is to blend financial prudence with grace, ensuring
22:55
patronage doesn't eclipse merit. Credit, in this view, isn't just
22:59
a transaction, it's a seed bed for generosity, aligning with
23:02
the biblical idea of having something to share alone.
23:06
Help someone become productive so they can be generous in turn.
23:09
Finally, let's talk about digital and cyber
23:11
infrastructure. Ukraine has shown remarkable
23:13
technological resilience during the war, particularly with its
23:16
Daya platform. What are the future priorities
23:19
for safeguarding and building on this digital strength?
23:22
Yeah, the Daya platform is highlighted as a global model of
23:25
crisis governance. It kept essential services
23:28
flowing even when city halls were literally in rubble.
23:30
However, vulnerabilities exist. The sources mentioned the July
23:35
2025 Starlink blackout, which briefly throttled satellite
23:39
coverage over frontline zones. That exposed the fragility of
23:42
relying too heavily on single vendor systems.
23:44
So what are the priorities going forward?
23:46
Building redundant fiber optic corridors through neighboring
23:49
countries for resilience. Establishing sovereign cloud
23:52
centers hardened against both physical missile attacks and
23:55
cyber intrusions, and developing open source alternatives to
23:58
avoid dependence on single commercial vendors.
24:01
How does the theological perspective, particularly common
24:04
grace and sphere sovereignty, inform this highly technical
24:07
area? Well, common grace legitimizes
24:09
collaboration with the best secular engineers because all
24:12
good gifts, including technical skill, originate from God.
24:16
So they should work with the brightest minds available,
24:18
regardless of background. But Sphere Sovereignty provides
24:21
a caution against ceding critical national infrastructure
24:25
to unaccountable tech giants. So public funds should purchase
24:28
open license code allowing local developers to modify and secure
24:32
applications without needing proprietary permission, and
24:35
require transparent art of trails.
24:38
Vocational boot camps can train a new generation of cyber
24:40
gatekeepers, combining IT skills with biblical wisdom, viewing
24:44
firewalls maybe as an expression of loving your neighbor in the
24:47
digital realm. So an overarching principle
24:50
across all four sectors seems to be that capital must never
24:53
outrun character. What does that truly signify in
24:55
this context? It signifies that while you can
24:57
rebuild energy grids in a couple of construction seasons,
25:00
rebuilding trust takes generations.
25:03
Grain silos might go up by next harvest, but honest scales are
25:07
carved in human hearts. Loans can travel at fiber optic
25:10
speed, yet the ethical code that ensures they're repaid grows
25:14
slowly, like an oak tree. Each macroeconomic intervention
25:17
discussed here carries a micro discipleship analog.
25:20
It's about consciously building moral foundations alongside the
25:23
physical ones. OK, the sources refer to the
25:26
church and whiter civil society as the operating system for
25:29
reconstruction. What does that signify and what
25:32
crucial role do they play in a nation's rebuilding, according
25:35
to this view? It's a powerful metaphor.
25:37
If the bulldozers and the balance sheets are the hardware
25:40
of reconstruction, then the church and civil society supply
25:43
the operating system, the underlying values, trust and
25:46
relationships, without which even the finest machinery solves
25:50
the sources. Look back to Acts 6 where the
25:52
early church addressed a food security crisis by appointing
25:55
spirit filled deacons, weaving mercy and accountability into
25:58
the city's social fabric, and Jeremiah 29.7 commands the
26:02
Exiles to seek the welfare of the city where they live.
26:06
These texts suggest a kind of twin logic for post war Ukraine.
26:09
While the state wields the sword and donors provide capital,
26:13
covenant communities, churches, families, local groups must
26:15
disciple consciences, bind up wounds and model honesty so the
26:19
public trust, which has been shredded by both shelling and
26:22
corruption, can grow back stronger.
26:24
Let's start with trauma care, which you mentioned is a dire
26:26
need given the human cost. What's the church's unique role
26:29
here, especially where other resources might be scarce or
26:32
less trusted? Right.
26:33
We talked about the high PTSD rates, maybe 1/3 of returning
26:37
combatants, and high depression among displaced mothers.
26:41
Imagine the silent battles being fought in homes across the
26:44
country long after the physical shelling stops.
26:47
Government clinics are often scarce, and secular therapy can
26:50
sometimes carry a stigma. Local congregations, however,
26:54
have arguably the densest grassroots networks in the
26:57
country. They're already present in
26:58
communities, so pastoral counseling teams can be trained,
27:01
apparently at comparatively low cost and things like basic
27:04
narrative exposure therapy, biblical lament practices, and
27:08
suicide prevention protocols. And this leads to the idea of
27:11
grace and resilience centers. Can you tell us more about
27:13
those? Yes, these are proposed church
27:16
hosted centers, places offering walk in counseling, pure LED
27:20
support groups, maybe guided sessions using the Psalms for
27:23
lament, crucially partnering with licensed Christian
27:26
psychiatrists where needed. This approach amplifies public
27:30
health efforts by providing the physical rooms, the existing
27:33
rapport within the community, and a framework of hope.
27:37
It ensures shattered souls can begin the work of rebuilding
27:39
shattered cities. It's spiritual and emotional
27:42
first aid alongside the physical.
27:44
Another critical area is workforce formation and ethical
27:47
entrepreneurship. How does reformed theology
27:50
connect to daily work in this context, and what practical
27:52
initiatives emerge from that connection?
27:54
Well, as we touched on with vocation, Reformed theology sees
27:57
all lawful labor, welding, coding, bookkeeping, whatever as
28:00
potentially priestly service when offered to God.
28:02
It shatters that old sacred secular divide.
28:05
So congregations can naturally run practical evening job skill
28:08
labs right in their church basements.
28:10
Things like resume clinics, language lessons, maybe focused
28:13
on export sales, crash courses on tax compliance, workshops on
28:17
biblical work ethic. So, practical skills mixed with
28:19
ethical foundations providing a holistic approach to livelihood.
28:23
Precisely, you could have business elders mentoring
28:26
startups funded by those micro loans.
28:28
We discussed integrating Proverbs on honest scales right
28:31
alongside QuickBooks tutorials on double entry.
28:33
Ledger's partnerships with technical colleges could
28:36
multiply the reach. The example given is a seminary
28:39
hosting a joint program on the Book of Galatians and solar
28:42
panel installation. These initiatives aim to turn
28:45
relief recipients into producers, fostering integrity
28:48
within a relational network. Graduates carry not just skills,
28:52
but a community network that can vouch for their character.
28:55
This leads naturally to the idea of integrity networks
28:58
establishing A moral foundation in public life.
29:00
How would this work on a broader scale beyond individual
29:03
businesses or job skills? The idea is that systematic
29:06
discipleship can turn private faith into public courage,
29:09
especially for civil servants facing temptations.
29:13
Regional pastors groups could, for instance, meet monthly with
29:16
local officials, mayors, administrators, not to lobby
29:19
necessarily, but to ask about the temptations towards
29:22
compromise they face, maybe echoing John the Baptist's
29:25
counsel to tax collectors and soldiers, just offering support
29:29
and accountability. Meanwhile, Christian lawyers
29:33
could staff pro bono whistleblower advocacy desks.
29:36
Whistleblower desks. Yeah, assuring civil servants
29:38
that they'll be supported legally and spiritually if they
29:41
expose graft. Providing a shield for those who
29:43
do the right thing. So these are efforts to
29:45
cultivate conscience where legislation alone might fall
29:48
short, providing both spiritual and legal backing for doing what
29:52
is right. That's the aim.
29:54
These relational ligaments, as the sources call them, don't
29:57
replace formal anti corruption agencies, but they strengthen
30:00
them by cultivating the one variable legislation can't
30:03
coerce, which is conscience. It's building a culture of
30:06
integrity from the ground up. The war has undoubtedly created
30:10
societal divisions and deep wounds.
30:13
How can the church contribute to reconciliation ministries, which
30:16
seem vital for true national healing?
30:19
This is a really unique function.
30:21
While war crimes tribunals provide essential justice, they
30:24
cannot by themselves grant forgiveness or heal
30:27
relationships. Here, the Church offers a
30:29
ministry of confession and absolution grounded in the
30:32
Gospel. Practically, this could look
30:34
like facilitated dialogues, pairing veterans from the
30:37
Donbass trenches with church members from western regions,
30:40
helping to reduce mutual suspicion.
30:43
Or liturgies of lament held on massacre anniversaries, allowing
30:47
communities to mourn together without seeking cyclical
30:49
vengeance, moving towards healing rather than just
30:51
retribution. And the Gospels role here in
30:54
unifying such a diverse and traumatized population.
30:57
The gospel message itself stating Christ is our peace who
31:00
has made us both 1 places ultimate identity not in your
31:03
region, your language or your particular church tradition, but
31:07
in a new humanity found in him. This unifying power is seen as
31:11
reducing political risk and encouraging long term investment
31:14
because it helps stitch together regions, ethnicities and
31:17
denominational drives that Russian disinformation has
31:20
actively tried to tear apart. Finally, let's look at civil
31:23
society coalition's as allies in this effort.
31:25
How does this vision bring together various non state
31:28
actors for the common good? The sources encourage viewing
31:31
other groups Ng OS, agricultural cooperatives, student unions as
31:35
allies through that couperion lens we discussed earlier,
31:38
seeing each sphere as a distinct ordinance operating under
31:41
Christ's overall supremacy. They're partners, not rivals.
31:46
So churches could host town hall forums where Ng OS present
31:49
budget monitoring apps they've developed, where journalists
31:52
displaying investigative methods, where municipal
31:54
officers answered tough questions from citizens.
31:57
This symbolizes, as the sources say, re knitting the covenant
32:00
between ruler and ruled. This synergy between spiritual
32:04
authority and civic initiative is seen as vital.
32:07
It ensures donor funds reach living tissue, micro loans get
32:09
repaid, and traumatized families find rest.
32:12
Because, as Jeremiah said, in the city's welfare you find your
32:16
own welfare. Mobilizing the necessary funds
32:18
for Ukraine's reconstruction is obviously a colossal task.
32:21
Let's start with The Aggressor pays principal and the proposed
32:24
funding mechanisms. How is justice being integrated
32:26
into this international finance framework?
32:29
Right. The financing discussion begins
32:30
with that principle. The aggressor should pay for
32:32
what violence is stolen. This aligns with biblical calls
32:35
for restitution. Exodus 22 is cited in Justice as
32:39
in Proverbs 21.3. A key mechanism here is the G
32:43
Sevens agreement back in June 2024 for AUS $50 billion
32:47
Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loan or ERA loan.
32:50
OK. The ERA loan?
32:52
How is that funded? It's service by the interest
32:54
earned from approximately US $280 billion into mobilized
32:57
Russian sovereign reserves held in the West.
32:59
Washington dispersed an initial US $20 billion tranche December
33:02
2024. And how would Kiev utilize these
33:05
interest flows to serve the people of Ukraine directly?
33:07
The recommendation is that Kiev should channel these interest
33:10
flows into a dedicated reparations fund.
33:13
This fund would prioritize restitution for homes and
33:16
businesses destroyed after February 24th, 2022.
33:19
And critically, all payouts from this fund would be published on
33:22
a tamper proof Ledger for full transparency.
33:26
This arrangement is seen as satisfying both the civil
33:28
responsibility of magistrate to bear the sword against
33:31
wrongdoing that's Romans 13, and the principle of justice,
33:34
Proverbs 21.3, while also reducing the burden on donor
33:38
taxpayers, which could help prevent donor fatigue down the
33:41
line. Beyond that specific fund, how
33:43
does the concept of performance based aid ensure accountability
33:46
and make sure funds are used effectively?
33:48
The idea is that grants and loans should be linked to
33:50
performance outcomes to cultivate virtue as well as just
33:53
providing liquidity. The E year's 50 billion Ukraine
33:57
facility for 20/24/27 already does this to some extent,
34:01
linking tranches to quarterly reform indicators.
34:04
Things like hitting macro stability targets or meeting
34:07
anti corruption benchmarks for NAB, EU and SAPO.
34:10
The World Bank's Cash on Delivery loans, also known as
34:13
Program for Results, take this logic even further.
34:17
They reimburse ministries only after tangible outputs are
34:20
completed and verified, like rebuilt roads or connected
34:23
renewable energy megawatts. So funds are tied directly to
34:26
tangible results, preventing waste and fostering good
34:29
stewardship. Exactly The suggestion is that
34:31
Ukraine should embed all its bilateral aid within these kinds
34:34
of measurable result matrices assessed by independent auditors
34:38
and civil society panels. This ensures funds either
34:40
produce concrete outputs or they revert back to the giver.
34:43
It's framed as covenantal accountability, turning money
34:46
into moral instruction, teaching officials and citizens that
34:49
blessings tend to follow obedience, echoing the parable
34:52
of the Talents. Investors naturally have huge
34:55
concerns about capital loss in a conflict zone.
34:58
How are war risk insurance and credit guarantees being used to
35:01
address these fears and encourage private investment?
35:04
Yeah, this is indispensable. You need a layered architecture
35:07
of war risk insurance and credit guarantees to calm investor
35:11
fears about losing capital due to conflict or illegal
35:13
instability. In July 2025, the International
35:17
Finance Corporation IOC announced new initiatives
35:20
including a dedicated war risk pool, specifically to attract
35:24
private debt and equity for Ukrainian SM, ES and energy
35:27
projects. MIGA, the multilateral
35:29
investment guarantee agency, has already provided over US $185
35:33
million in new political risk guarantees, mainly focused on
35:36
agriculture and small business lending.
35:38
And other international bodies are contributing to beyond the
35:41
IFC and MIGA. Yes, the US International
35:44
Development Finance Corporation or DFC has underwritten over US
35:48
$1 billion in war risk insurance and approved an additional US
35:51
$325,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 just for grain export
35:56
infrastructure and the European paying for reconstruction and
35:59
development. EBRD unveiled 110 million
36:03
reinsurance guarantee to support inland cargo movement that
36:07
signals to private reinsurers that they can re enter the
36:09
market without taking on existential levels of risk.
36:12
All these back stops are designed to convert, as the
36:14
sources put it, fearful capital into venture capital.
36:17
It acts out that principle from Deuteronomy 15, where covenant
36:20
lenders are told to open their hands wide even during times of
36:23
risk, ensuring generosity continues.
36:26
Finally, in this section, let's look at diverse partnerships.
36:28
How does this vision allow Ukraine to collaborate beyond
36:31
maybe shared world views, engaging with a wide array of
36:33
international players? The principle of common grace
36:36
again frees Ukraine to partner with diverse nations and
36:39
institutions. Think Turkey, Gulf sovereign
36:42
funds, Japan and others. As long as the alliance benefits
36:46
the welfare of the city, Jeremiah 29.7 and maintains
36:50
transparent procurement and moral witness, it's seen as
36:53
legitimate. The recommendation is for
36:55
Ukraine to create an open data investment platform.
36:58
This would list shovel ready projects already screened for
37:01
legal compliance and ESG safeguards.
37:04
This makes it easier to facilitate Co financing from
37:06
various international investors, whether they're Muslim, secular
37:10
or Hindu, allowing them to potentially Co finance alongside
37:13
say, Baptist deacons or Dutch pension funds.
37:16
This sounds like a comprehensive approach to funding and
37:18
collaboration, designed to bring in capital from every possible
37:21
source while trying to maintain integrity.
37:23
It is, and it honors fierce sovereignty, allowing the state
37:26
to regulate, the church to disciple, and the market to
37:28
invest, each in its own sphere. The hoped for result is a
37:32
financing mosaic that leads to enrichment for the nation rather
37:35
than corruption. Beyond the physical and economic
37:38
damage, the sources highlight a deeper wound, the damage to
37:41
Ukraine's cultural and demographic fabric.
37:44
What does this involve and how do they plan to address it?
37:46
Yes, this is critical for any kind of lasting recovery.
37:50
We mentioned the school situation.
37:52
Over 3300 damaged, hundreds leveled, costing over $13
37:56
billion to replace. Only 1/4 of pupils can attend
38:00
full time classes. That's a massive hit to the
38:02
nation's intellectual foundation.
38:04
And the demographic numbers are stark.
38:06
The world's lowest birth weight population, down potentially 20
38:09
million since independence. And the cultural monuments,
38:11
those irreplaceable symbols of national identity.
38:14
Scarred. This has prompted EU initiatives
38:17
like a 50 million Team Europe Heritage Initiative and a
38:20
Ukrainian Heritage Fund dedicated to rescue and
38:23
restoration. All these statistics tell a
38:25
single story. Ukraine's most precious capital,
38:28
souls shaped by truth, beauty and covenant family, is
38:31
declining. Therefore, a reformed theology
38:34
of culture moves cultural renewal and human capital
38:36
recovery right to the front of the policy queue.
38:39
It recognizes the nation can't thrive on just turbines and tax
38:43
codes alone. So how does public theology work
38:45
to cultivate hope and foster a sense of national purpose in
38:48
this context? Public theology needs to
38:50
dramatize Psalm 90.17, establish the work of our hands, make the
38:56
connection between faith and rebuilding visible.
38:58
This can be done through things like national days of prayer and
39:01
Thanksgiving, broadcast from rebuilt churches out to
39:04
frontline chapels. A presidential decree could even
39:07
set for annual observances, maybe Liberation Day, Plankton
39:10
Day, Harvest Day, Advent Fast. On these days, schools could
39:15
host communal liturgies of lament and gratitude, inviting
39:18
participation from various faiths.
39:20
So these are rituals meant to anchor civic morale and unify
39:23
the nation across different lines.
39:25
Exactly. And they reinforce fierce
39:26
sovereignty. The state declares a holiday,
39:29
while local congregation script the liturgy and families feast
39:32
at home. Because hope is a firm of social
39:35
capital, these rhythms are seen as translating directly into
39:37
productivity. Workers who believe their labor
39:40
contributes to a redemptive drama might endure difficult
39:43
tasks with more resilient joy. They work not just for a
39:46
paycheck, but for a larger purpose.
39:48
This sounds like rebuilding the intellectual and creative
39:50
foundations for the future. What about education in the arts
39:54
specifically as incubators for this renewal?
39:56
Well, for education emergency, prefab classrooms can reopen
40:00
schooling quickly. But war has also disrupted how
40:02
teaching happens. The World Bank's Learning and
40:05
School Resilience Project is already funding digital
40:08
platforms that beam lessons into sellers during air raids.
40:12
Churches can lend their parish halls as hybrid learning hubs,
40:15
maybe pairing catechism with coding classes for higher
40:18
education. The idea of A32 global semester
40:21
model is proposed 3 semesters in Ukraine to abroad.
40:25
This helps bind the diaspora brain trust back to domestic
40:28
faculties. Reconnecting talent.
40:30
And for the arts beyond just restoration of buildings.
40:32
EU heritage grants can underwrite restoring cultural
40:35
institutions like the Kiev National Conservatory and
40:38
finance traveling exhibitions. Maybe from a Casa's opera
40:40
archives out different line towns.
40:43
It echoes Isaiah 61.3 giving beauty for ashes.
40:47
The 2025 Keith Biennial, planned as a multi city event, offers a
40:51
deadline to reopen at least five bomb damage galleries as proof
40:54
of concept studios. This signals that culture not
40:57
only survives but actively interprets the meaning of the
40:59
war. That violin sounding in Luhansk
41:02
or bronze foundries casting public sculpture and Kharkiv do
41:06
more than just delight tourists. They speak of resilience and
41:08
even resurrection. Given the demographic crisis and
41:11
that lowest birth rate, what family strengthening policies
41:14
are proposed to encourage repatriation and new births?
41:16
The combat population collapse. The state could pair a 10 year
41:20
income tax rebate with a substantial US $10,000 Welcome
41:24
Home grant for each newborn whose parents repatriate within
41:27
12 months. This could be funded from the
41:30
interest income of the reparations fund.
41:32
Labor law should guarantee a shared 6 month parental leave
41:36
pool flexible for either parent to use affordable maternity
41:39
housing. May be renovating old Soviet
41:42
dormitories managed by church. NGO consortia could help cut
41:45
urban child rearing costs. And tax credits for children,
41:48
how would those be structured to encourage families?
41:51
Streamline child tax credits should become a single
41:53
refundable allowance that actually rises with birth order.
41:56
This echoes Psalm 127's view of children as an inheritance and
42:00
directly incentivizes larger families while supporting
42:03
parents financially. Finally, the rule of Sabbath for
42:06
national recovery. How does this shape sustainable
42:09
work, Riggums, in a nation that must feel immense pressure to
42:12
work around the clock to rebuild?
42:13
That's the danger, isn't it? War's adrenaline contempt
42:16
leaders into pushing for 247 reconstruction schedules.
42:20
But the Sabbath's principle from Exodus 20 links productivity to
42:23
rhythm, not just frenzy. It's presented as part of
42:25
creational design for human flourishing, so amending the
42:29
Labor Code to cap the standard work week at, say, 40 hours,
42:32
with double pay required for any Sabbath labor certified as a
42:35
true emergency, would guard against burnout.
42:37
It also signals to investors that Ukraine value sustainable
42:40
output over heroic but ultimately brittle surges.
42:43
Are there economic incentives proposed for businesses to
42:46
actually adopt this Sabbath rest?
42:48
Yes, employers adopting Sabbath rest could receive a small
42:52
payroll tax discount, maybe 2%. This could be financed by
42:55
potentially lower health insurance payouts as
42:57
occupational stress declines. Churches reinforce this pattern
43:00
by offering Sunday community meals and free medical checkups,
43:02
turning rest into relational oxygen, not just downtime.
43:06
These policies, entwining public liturgy, resilient education,
43:09
pro family economics and creational rest, aim to ensure
43:13
Ukraine rebuilds not just as a rewired grid or a reopened port,
43:17
but as a people whose minds have tasted beauty, whose children
43:20
play in safe schools, whose families feast and multiply, and
43:23
whose labor hums to a sustainable, perhaps even
43:26
heavenly rhythm. This is an incredibly
43:28
comprehensive plan, but it needs a clear way to measure progress
43:31
and ensure accountability. What kind of rigorous dashboard
43:34
and key performance indicators KP is are envisioned to track
43:38
this immense effort? Right accountability is key.
43:41
Ukraine's recovery plan uses a rigorous dashboard with KP IS
43:45
across three main clusters, governance, economic output and
43:48
social resilience. Each of these is tied to dated
43:51
milestones and is buffered by an explicit risk management grid.
43:55
It's designed to be as rigorous as any fiscal Ledger, and
43:58
ideally as honest as the profit scales.
44:01
Let's start with governance metrics, which you've stressed
44:03
are absolutely foundational. How will they track the fight
44:06
against corruption? Indeed, as Proverbs teaches, a
44:09
throne is secured by righteousness.
44:11
Ukraine's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index CPI score was
44:15
35 out of 100, ranking 105th worldwide.
44:18
Not great. The Reconstruction Charter
44:20
targets lifting that score to 50 out of 100 by 2030.
44:24
That's a level comparable to Croatia's when it joined the EU.
44:27
Achieving this involves those steps we discussed
44:30
constitutional entrenchment of Navy U and SAPIO independence,
44:33
mandatory blockchain publication of large contracts above US100K
44:37
and annual peer review audits by anti graft agencies from places
44:40
like Poland and Lithuania. And what happens if these
44:43
targets aren't met? Is there a built in consequence
44:45
to ensure compliance? Yes, there are intermediate
44:48
checkpoints aiming for ACPI of 40 by 202645 by 2028.
44:53
Failure to meet any waypoint automatically freezes 10% of
44:56
donor finance discretionary spending until corrective
44:59
legislation is passed. There's also a metric tracking
45:01
local fund transparency. At least 30% of donor tranches
45:05
must flow directly to municipalities that publish
45:07
itemized quarterly statements. If a locality misses 2
45:10
successive filings, its allocation automatically diverts
45:13
to a compliant neighboring hermada.
45:15
It's a built in incentive system to decentralize virtue and
45:18
reward accountability. Moving to economic milestones,
45:21
what are the GDP targets for national economic recovery?
45:24
The plan target the return to the pre war real GDP level which
45:27
was about US $199.8 billion by the year 2030 and then reaching
45:31
US $250 billion by 2035 with intermediate weigh stations of
45:35
US $165 billion in 2027 and US 185 billion to 2029.
45:41
This requires A sustained period of pretty rapid growth.
45:43
What are some of the specific sub metrics within that for key
45:46
sectors like energy and agriculture?
45:48
OK, for energy reliability, decentralized renewables must
45:51
supply 15% of electricity BY12027 and 25% by 2030.
45:56
Nationwide outage hours should fall below 8 hours a year.
45:59
For agricultural vitality, the Black Sea and Danube export
46:02
channels need to achieve 90% operational days per quarter by
46:05
2028. If they fall below 70%, it
46:08
triggers an automatic insurance premium subsidy to keep ships
46:11
sailing. Manufacturing resilience.
46:13
Commercial bank credit to SMEs needs to reach US $4 billion a
46:16
year by 2027, backed by those IFC and MIGATE guarantees.
46:20
And finally, fiscal health. Sovereign debt capped at 60% of
46:23
GDP by 2032 with an annual debt sustainability report tabled in
46:27
Parliament. Beyond the economic numbers, how
46:29
will social resilience indicators ensure that rising
46:32
graphs reflect truly healed people and communities?
46:35
That's crucial. Peer reviewed survey showed
46:37
probable PTSD and roughly 29% of refugees and displaced adults by
46:42
2028. The Ministry of Health,
46:43
partnering with those church run grace and resilience centers
46:46
must provide evidence based trauma care to at least 70% of
46:49
identified cases. This would be benchmarked
46:52
through anonymized national screenings, and every oblast
46:55
should host at least one certified counseling center per
46:57
150,000 residents by 2026, scaling up to 1 per 100,000 by
47:02
2030. And what about the demographic
47:04
challenges we discussed earlier, like the extremely low birth
47:07
rate? The live birth rate, currently
47:08
the world's lowest at 7.9 per 1000 population in 2024, needs
47:13
to climb to 10 per 1000 by 2032, propelled by that refundable
47:18
child tax credit that rises with birth order and a welcome home
47:21
grant for repatriating families. Education recovery is tracked
47:24
through classroom presence. By September 20, 2785 percent of
47:27
pupils should attend in person classes at least four days a
47:30
week. That's up from barely 25% today
47:32
in missile threatened regions. It's about restoring a normal
47:35
rhythm to childhood. This sounds incredibly detailed,
47:38
with clear lines of accountability built in.
47:40
How does the plan account for and mitigate the key risks that
47:43
could potentially derail all these efforts?
47:46
Good question. An updated risk register
47:49
reviewed quarterly by the National Recovery Council
47:51
identifies 5 dominant hazards in their mitigation strategies.
47:54
First, military relapse, like fresh missile waves.
47:57
That's mitigated by layered air defenses and AUS $3 billion
48:01
Rapid Repair Contingency Fund sourced from those frozen asset
48:04
coupons designed to be released within 72 hours of a verified
48:08
attack. And political backsliding, like
48:09
that July 2025 incident with NBU that caused so much concern.
48:13
Any such attempts to hobble the anti corruption bodies will
48:16
automatically pause EU facility disbursements.
48:19
It essentially weaponizes the cash flow to defend
48:22
institutional integrity. Donor fatigue, which is always a
48:26
risk as headline crises fade, is countered by those public facing
48:29
dashboards showing tangible returns on solidarity, making
48:32
the results visible. Climate volatility like drought
48:35
or flood is addressed by crop insurance pools carrying a
48:38
reinsurance layer for mechanisms like the African Risk Capacity
48:42
and Gulf Sovereign funds. Finally, cyber sabotage
48:45
threatening the day a digital backbone is mitigated by
48:48
redundancy plans that includes air gapped clouds, completely
48:51
offline secure data storage and monthly failovers to secure data
48:55
centers outside Ukraine, perhaps in Poland.
48:57
So by combining clear metrics, calibrated milestones and these
49:01
pre committed mitigations, Ukraine aims to transform
49:03
reconstruction from just a hopeful aspiration into a
49:06
measurable, reviewable and genuinely deliverable covenant.
49:10
Precisely. The goal is that numbers become
49:12
acts of praise. When year end dashboards testify
49:15
that corruption is retreating, engines are humming and
49:18
traumatized hearts are healing, they will hopefully echo the
49:21
psalmist's boast. This is the law's doing.
49:24
It is marvelous in our eyes. This deep dive has truly laid
49:28
bare the monumental effort ahead for Ukraine, from the immense
49:31
physical damage to the really intricate financial and
49:34
governance reforms required. It's a complex picture,
49:37
certainly, but what really stands out is this holistic
49:39
vision, one that tries to tie together economic strategy with
49:43
ethical principles rooted in theology and community
49:45
participation at every single level.
49:47
It certainly does. We've seen how this blueprint
49:50
views the physical rebuilding, the grids, the silos, the
49:53
conservatories. As important, yes, but
49:55
ultimately as signs, not saviors.
49:58
Their ultimate goal, as presented, is for families to
50:00
thrive in peace, for communities to flourish, and for
50:03
righteousness to characterize the nation.
50:05
The path ahead is undeniably challenging, fraught with risks.
50:09
But risk, as the sources themselves note, is the arena
50:12
where faith can be proved genuine.
50:14
So what does this all mean for you, our listener, as you
50:16
consider what we've discussed today?
50:18
Maybe consider how these principles stewardship human
50:22
dignity derived from the imago dei.
50:25
The balance of work and rest under Sabbath principles might
50:28
apply not just to a nation rebuilding from war, but perhaps
50:31
to the recovery and growth needed in any community, maybe
50:34
even in your own personal life or work.
50:37
How might focusing on the ethical framework or fostering
50:39
genuine character within your own circles of influence
50:42
contribute to lasting fruitfulness?
50:44
Far beyond merely fixing what's obviously broken on the surface,
50:48
perhaps the greatest reconstruction always begins
50:51
within. A powerful thought to carry with
50:52
you. Thank you for joining us for
50:54
this deep dive on reformed thinking.