Who Is Our Neighbor? Ukraine!!

Luke 10:29

One of the primary ministries of Deacons in the Episcopal Church is to 'take the church to the world, and the world to the church.' This is going to be one of those Sundays.

This is the second time I had a sermon prepared, and current events compelled me to write a new one to address the atrocities occurring in Ukraine.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, wrote the following prayer for peace and justice. Let us pray:

God of peace and justice,

We pray for the people of Ukraine today.

We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.

We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.

We pray for those with power over war or peace For wisdom, discernment and compassion To guide their decisions.

Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, That you would hold and protect them.

We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Amen. [1]

More than a dozen faith leaders offered prayers for a peaceful resolution to the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine during an online vigil Wednesday, February 23, hosted by the Episcopal Church and the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

"There are people and children of God whose lives and freedom are threatened, and so we pray," said Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

The vigil came not long after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the independence of two Ukrainian regions bordering Russia and delivered a speech arguing Ukraine is part of Russia's "own history, culture, and spiritual space." Russian troops have been amassing around three sides of Ukraine for the last couple of weeks.

Faith leaders at the prayer vigil said members of their traditions dream of working for a world without war — and part of that work is prayer. They offered prayers for presidents Biden, Putin, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The faith leaders lamented the world's worship of power and acknowledged that the poor and marginalized are the ones who would be the most impacted by continuing conflict.

"We're here with a commitment and persistence that peace is still possible. We can pull the world back from this brink yet." "We urge all those involved in this conflict to do everything they can to immediately end the hostilities, return to the negotiating table, protect all human life. We know that another way is possible."

"The drums of war are beating louder with each passing moment," "We must stand up as people of faith and people of peace to speak truth to power." [2]

And, we as Christians must add our prayers to those around the world seeking a peaceful resolution to this conflict.

As Martin Luther King, Jr said:

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

"no one is free until all are free."

Some people think that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is none of our business. Or some view this as an example of the rightful reclaiming of something that had been lost. A faction of the United States fully supports Vladimir Putin' reclaiming' territory lost that once constituted the Soviet Union. Those countries broke away because they wanted to be self-determining and not under the control of oligarchs whose only interest was amassing their personal wealth to the detriment and sometimes death of their own people.

We MUST remember our recent history when Europe chose to ignore the early actions of Adolph Hitler. He consumed Poland in September 1939. No one took a stand at that time, thinking of him as an insignificant, petty madman. This was followed by Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France in the Spring of 1940; Yugoslavia and Greece in the Spring of 1941 – in less than two short years, he changed the face of Europe. Then there was no stopping him, and we ended up in World War II. We cannot forget the ambitions of a despot left to his own devices.

Putin has invaded Ukraine to 'rescue' those Ukrainian people he perceives as Russian. In 2014, he annexed Crimea in a similar move, ending Post-Cold War European stability. It is not coincidental that the area he has invaded happens to be on a path to the Balkans, a country Putin has long wanted to rejoin to Russia. Reclaiming the Soviet Union is not a new dream of his; we cannot remain blind to Putin's ultimate plan to rule the entire world!

Multiple meetings with Putin and members of NATO and Europe failed in negotiations to stop his takeover of part of Ukraine. Germany, France, and Britain offered many alternatives, all to no avail. A line was drawn in the sand, which he insisted on crossing. Not only did Russia breach the borders of a sovereign country, but they have also executed a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.