Good morning…
Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent, the 46 days before Easter Sunday. Christianity.com explains: “Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for personal forms of fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection.”
With ordinary lives in Ukraine being reduced to ash and rubble, this Ash Wednesday breaks open our heart in new ways as a cross of ashes touches our fragile forehead. Might a solidarity of Spirit rise up in us as we share the bonding prayer below?
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New Prayer for Peace by Cameron Bellm, courtesy of the Society of Jesus
How do we pray for peace from half a world away?
How can words salve and soothe real wounds,
Assuage real fears, wipe tears from real eyes?
God of endless compassion, transform our prayers
From words into bridges that span the distances
Between us, uniting our hearts in yours.
Every time we turn our keys in a lock,
May we remember all who are losing their homes.
Every time we step into our cars,
May we remember all who are having to flee.
Every time we embrace our children,
May we remember all who are trying to shield theirs from war.
May our besieged brothers and sisters
Be drawn into the arms of the suffering Christ,
And may our cry be heard as one voice,
Ringing out from every corner of the earth:
God of endless mercy, grant us peace.
Amen.
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Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7, NLT).
This Lenten season, may we discover deep, expansive ways to live in Christ Jesus.
…Sue…
P.S. For those who have been reading about my new friend Pam and her Ukrainian friend Olga, we continue to share ongoing communication. Pam emailed me yesterday with a link that her church has set up to be able to give to a Ukrainian Relief Fund. Learning of the fund, Olga replied, “Thank you, Pam. It is needed equipment for army; binoculars, body armor, etc. And volunteers are searching ways how to buy it in Europe and deliver in Ukraine.”
“My ‘take’ is… they need humanitarian aid and equipment to defend themselves,” concluded Pam.
