Nick Fawcett (devotional and reflective writer)

For Ukraine and places of war

Lord God,
as events continue to unfold in Ukraine,
and as bloodshed continues in places of conflict the world over –
Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, to name but some –
I want to come up with easy answers …
only there aren’t any.
I want to pray:
where there is war, bring peace;
where there is division, bring harmony;
where there is fear, bring reassurance;
where there is evil, bring good;
only it’s not that simple …
not that simple at all.
For the ruthless ambition of dictators,
the heartlessness of aggression,
the atrocities of battle,
the murder of innocents,
the bitter legacy of death and destruction
cannot be removed overnight as if they have never been.
I can pray for an end to the fighting,
for dialogue,
for reconciliation,
but I know,
as you know,
that this isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Tyranny has been let loose,
and resisting it,
confronting it,
defeating it,
is going to take courage,,
resolve,
wisdom,
and patience.
For the moment, all I can ask for is this:
in the heartache,
the terror,
the suffering,
the anguish,
somehow be there and show your love –
a ray of sunshine in the storm
of light in the darkness,
of hope in despair.
Amen.