Thoughts From Your Regional Minister
By Larry Ross, Interim Co-Regional Minister
As we enter Lent this year bruised by our battle with COVID, aghast at the horrific war in Ukraine, and aware that none of the many injustices in our own part of the world have been resolved.
I have always found that Ash Wednesday served to remind me of the fragility of this world (ashes to ashes, dust to dust). Yet, Lent itself is a march toward Easter and the reminder that God’s love is greater.
Rev. Sara Nave Fisher, the wife of an Army chaplain, writes about talking to children about the war in her soon-to-be-released book When Kids Ask Hard Questions, Volume 2: More Faith-Filled Responses for Tough Topics. She has a knack for getting to the basics.
“But here’s what I do know about God and war: God is ever-present,” she says. “God is with every person. God loves every person. I fully believe that we are called to be people of peace and that we are called to protect the most vulnerable. Sometimes, those things are at odds—or seem to be. There aren’t always easy answers. War is always tragic. It is always sad.”
Our General Minister and President, Rev. Terri Hord Owens, signed an ecumenical response to the fighting in Ukraine. It says, in part, “We also call upon the faithful people of our congregations and communities to pray for wisdom, peace, and justice to prevail in Ukraine. Join us as we pray:
‘Oh Divine, most mighty, most merciful,
our sacred stories tell us that you help and save your people.
You are the fortress. May there be no more war. You are the harvest.
May there be no more hunger. You are the light.
May no one die alone or in despair.
Oh Divine, most majestic … grant us your life.
Amen.’ ”
That’s a prayer I can, and do, pray.