Last week, Russia launched an unprecedented military assault on Ukraine. The invasion caused bloodshed, forcing thousands of people to leave the country, and was condemned by nations worldwide. People worldwide have shown support for Ukrainian people, including the cast and crew of “Saturday Night Live.” The show returned from its month-long hiatus and chose to open differently.

Instead of a funny satirical sketch, the NBC variety show decided to present a compelling tribute to the country of Ukraine. Cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong stood center stage at Studio 8H and introduced viewers to the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York. The choir then sang “Prayer for Ukraine” as the live audience sat quietly.

McKinnon and Strong then returned to the stage and said the show’s signature catchphrase, “Live… From New York. It’s Saturday night.” However, instead of immediately cutting to the show’s opening credits, the camera panned to candles sitting in front of McKinnon and Strong on a table. The candles were positioned to spell out “Kyiv,” the Ukrainian capital.

This stirring tribute isn’t the first time the show has decided to skip the satirical jokes in its cold open. After the 9/11 attacks, the show opened with then-New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani standing in front of firefighters and police officers and flanked by then-police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and then-fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen. Giuliani praised the first responders and talked about how America would live their lives in freedom in a short speech. Jason Aldean also opened the show after the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017.

The show didn’t mention Russia’s invasion again until the Weekend Update segment. Comedian Michael Che joked about how many analysts were surprised that Putin went through with the attack, even though it would be a big mistake. He compared it to NBC continuing to air the 2022 Beijing Olympics, which drew harsh criticism and suffered low ratings. The rest of the show went on as usual.

The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York returned at the show’s end for the final goodbyes and wrote a note of gratitude on its Instagram Stories. It read, “It was such an honor to represent Ukraine and Ukrainians today on @nbcsnl. Please continue to stand with Ukraine and remain strong!” ending with “Slava Ukraini,” which translates to “Glory to Ukraine.”

With images of Ukrainian children being separated from their parents to families hiding out in subway stations, we can only hope that this invasion will come to an end soon. As Americans, many of us have never experienced war in our home country. It must be hard to shelter in a subway station or retreat to another country for safety. It must be even harder to be separated from your family, not knowing if they’re safe or potentially never hearing from them again. Let us keep the Ukrainian people in our prayers and lift them with encouragement until it’s over. As we pray for the Ukrainian people, let us also pray for Vladimir Putin and ask that God look into his heart.