Listen

God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble. That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart.

Psalm 46:1-2a

Think

If you had asked me what peace is two years ago, I would have responded: “the absence of war.” Today, my answer has changed. I have seen that war cannot inhibit God. My husband and I recently returned to our home in war-torn Kyiv, Ukraine. I have discovered that peace is not limited by circumstances. We found peace when we heard drones passing above our home, and then seconds later, the anti-air defense team shot them down. We felt peace because the drones did not reach their targets. We also experienced peace in the mornings, when we slept without sirens in the night, which meant there was no need to seek refuge in the cold cellar.

We have also realized that we can create peace through the ministry of presence. In our home Bible study group, after we returned to Kyiv, people thanked us for not abandoning them. As we heard their stories of loss and grief, we cried with them and helped them process their pain. We have created beloved community, and by doing so, we have found peace in the midst of war.

Mina Podgaiskaya

Question to Ponder:

How can you experience peace in the midst of your own wars? In what ways is God challenging you to be a facilitator of peace?

Pray

Lord, help me to seek out and experience your radical peace.

Help me to create space for peace for those around me through the ministry of presence, through lamenting with those who are suffering because of war, and through sacrificial giving.

Amen.

Go

Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.

Pope Francis