Watching the news is so hard, but we must try to watch and pray. We stood in our little town on Wednesday for an hour, a silent vigil with our candles and our thoughts. It seemed so little. And while this is going on Afghanistan is starving and freezing and young women cannot go to school. We are used to lies and spin, but Putin is in charge of the Russian propaganda so I am just hoping that social media will be able to sneak through despite all the shut downs and threats of prison, so that the majority of the population will understand what is being done to their Ukrainian neighbours, in their name.
I was going to talk about the book, don’t I always. Not this week. This week I want to simply stand and weep for those who stood on the platforms watching their families disappearing westwards. For the women and children sitting in a different country, not knowing what is happening to their husbands, sons and fathers and whether they will ever see them again. For the elderly folk who cannot run away, for the brave folk standing in the roads knowing that they may be shot. For the incredible generosity of the receiving countries. Of ordinary people opening their homes to the refugees.
We pray in God’s name for peace.
