As I write this we are fast approaching the fourth anniversary of the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 22nd. I have learnt through listening to the Ukrainian community who came here following that invasion that for many this war actually began in 2014 when Russia invaded the Crimea. Our communities have offered hospitality, love and care to those displaced by this act of war.
Wherever we look our news is constantly full of conflict and around the world there are armed conflicts and tensions which cause us all to stop and ask is there not a better way to resolve our differences. Whatever the politics and reasons for the Russian invasion what is clear is that despite peace negotiations this war is continuing to see people killed and injured on both sides. It is important we do not lose sight of the fact that in war there are no winners only losers.
There are many theological arguments on whether warfare can ever be just and how we appropriately remember those lost in war. For us as Christians the Bible has a lot to teach us about the root causes of warfare and bloodshed. We are also reminded in those same pages that we are called to serve one another and to care for those who suffer. The ultimate sacrifice will always be to give our lives away for others.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
As Christians we are called to build relationships that create peace and harmony and offer the reconciling power of Jesus’ love. We are to offer a better more appropriate way to live and it is through the empowering of the Holy Spirit that we are changed. It is the Holy Spirit that builds the fruit of the Kingdom within each of us, and this enables us to bear one another’s burdens and create communities of peace.
As Jesus prepared for his own death, he warns the disciples not to lose heart when they see strife in the world. As they stand outside the temple in Jerusalem, he warns them what is to happen in their lifetime. His words are fulfilled in 72AD when the Romans destroy the temple in Jerusalem, but they are also just as true today for us as for his disciples.
“Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
Matthew 24:4-8
Jesus does not mean that we have to accept war with its horror and bloodshed but that we should respond to it appropriately. The New Testament teaches us that human selfishness, greed and intolerance lead to conflict. The church has a message of hope and the solution to these driving passions deep within humanity. If we are in any doubt, it is Jesus and his sacrifice for us that reconciles us to God and helps us offer peace in the world. We are called to fight evil and stand up for the Kingdom and its values; in doing so we help to build a better world. Our job is not to judge but to offer love and support. As a clergy person I have had the privilege of hearing the stories and experiences of grief and pain that war brings from those most impacted by it. I have always tried to bring God’s love, forgiveness and compassion to those who are tormented by memories of war. As the church we are called to care for those who suffer and to build a more peaceful world. In this period of Lent perhaps we should all pray for peace and reconciliation wherever there is conflict
The Venerable Derek Chedzey
Archdeacon of Hereford