Dear friends,
Last night and today, I have watched news of the invasion of Ukraine with horror and terror.
I am horrified for the people of Ukraine. I cannot imagine what it would be like to wake up to the sound of bombs. I cannot imagine what it would take to stand firm and fight back when the odds seem so overwhelming. I cannot imagine facing the possibility of our nation being occupied by a hostile force.
I am terrified by what this invasion means for our world. Are these the first battles in what will become World War III? Is this the next phase in the decline of democracy and the rise of autocracy? How do we avoid nuclear war? I worry what is happening today will re-shape our world for generations.
Often, when there is something horrifying and terrifying in the news, I have ideas for meaningful ways I can respond–a letter to my senator, a sign I can hold as I stand on a street corner. Today, I struggle to figure out what I would write in my letter or on my sign. I believe we must always seek peaceful means to resolve conflicts, but I don’t know what that means in the face of this attack. I long for political leaders—from our nation and around the world—who have the skills and wisdom to bring us back from the brink of destruction, but I don’t know what skills and wisdom would make that possible.
As I acknowledge all that I do not know, I am brought back to the things I do know—the things I choose to believe. I choose to believe that our prayers matter—in mysterious ways I do not understand. I choose to trust that God is with all of us—Ukrainians, Russians, Europeans, Americans—sharing in our sense of horror, grieving and raging at senseless suffering, enabling courage to stand fast, calling forth the capacity to hope. I choose to claim the central message of our faith: God is love. God’s love is stronger than hatred and abuse of power, even when it seems that hate is winning. God’s love is at work in ways we cannot see or imagine. God’s love works through us.
May we pray for miracles of peace. May we awaken to God’s presence with us. May God’s love work through our words and our actions.
Peace, Debbie