To Not Look Away

“A blessing for Ukraine
God, the unthinkable has happened.
Swiftly, relentlessly,
by stealth and through open destruction,
the peace and beauty of the ordinary,
has been shattered in a day.
O God of justice and might,
We call to you to come and bring this suffering to an end.
Comfort these trembling hearts.
Shield the vulnerable.
Strengthen those with the resources and the resolve
to protect what they love
in the face of such overwhelming force.
Grant wisdom to the nations of our world, to our leaders, and to us,
to grasp the unfathomable,
to see evil in its true light,
and come against it unflinchingly.
Dear Ukraine,
though we shudder to watch what is happening
We will not look away.”- Kate Bowler

Russia invaded Ukraine this week.
It’s hard to watch the news.
We’re on year three of a pandemic.
We have our own problems.
It all feels too much.
And yet. And yet.
We must not look away.
This pulls us out of ourselves into other.
Into justice.
Into peace, not appeasement.
Into compassion.
Into fighting the good fight that demands sacrifice, resolve and courage.
In our own exhaustion, may we never grow tired of fighting for what is right.
Emboldened and resolved.
Praying for peace.
For ourselves and others.
Peace. Justice. Freedom. Light.

“We Ukrainians are a peaceful nation. But if we remain silent today, we will be gone tomorrow!” – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.” – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy