Tag: Faith

For Ukraine

‘I invite everyone to join in prayer for the embattled people of Ukraine
and for all those who suffer due to this war,
that the long-awaited gift of peace may shine upon our days.’
[Pope Leo]

“So many victims, so many lives and families shattered, such immense destruction, such unspeakable suffering!
Every war is truly a wound inflicted upon the entire human family;
it leaves in its wake death, devastation and a trail of pain that marks generations.
Peace cannot be postponed.
It is an urgent necessity that must find a home in our hearts and be translated into responsible decisions.”

Pope Leo

Almighty and Great God,

Accept our gratitude for your boundless mercy towards us.
Hear the supplication of our afflicted hearts for the land and people of Ukraine,
as they confront foreign aggression and invasion.
Open the eyes of those who have been overtaken by a spirit of deception and violence,
that they be horrified by their works. Grant victory over the powers of evil that have arisen
and bless Ukraine with your gifts of liberty, peace, tranquility, and good fortune.

We implore you, O Merciful God, look with grace upon those who courageously defend their land.
Remember the mothers and fathers, the innocent children, widows and orphans,the disabled and helpless,
those seeking shelter and refuge, who reach out to you and to their fellow human beings
looking for mercy and compassion.
Bless the hearts of those who have already shown great generosity and solidarity,
and those who prepare to receive their Ukrainian brothers and sisters in Ukraine’s greatest time of need.

Bring us together as your children, your creation, and instil in us your strength,
wisdom and understanding.
May you be praised and glorified, now and forever, and to the ages of ages.

Amen

[Diocese of Blackburn]

The Lord’s Prayer in Ukrainian (Cyrillic)

Отче наш, що єси на небесах,
Нехай святиться Ім’я Твоє.
Хай прийде Царство Твоє,
нехай буде воля Твоя
Як на небі, так і на землі.
Хліб наш насущний дай нам сьогодні.
І прости нам провини наші,
як і ми прощаємо винуватцям нашим.
І не введи нас у спокусу,
але визволи нас від лукавого.
Бо Твоє є Царство, і сила, і слава навіки.
Амінь.

Transliteration (Pronunciation)

Otche nash, shcho yesy na nebesakh,
Nekhay svyatytʹsya Im’ya Tvoye.
Khay pryyde Tsarstvo Tvoye,
nekhay bude volya Tvoya
Yak na nebi, tak i na zemli.
Khlib nash nasushchnyy day nam sʹohodni.
I prosty nam provyny nashi, yak i my proshchayemo vynuvattsyam nashym.
I ne vvedy nas u spokusu,
ale vyzvoly nas vid lukavoho.
Bo Tvoye ye Tsarstvo, i syla, i slava naviky.
Aminʹ.

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.

Господи, помилуй. Господи, помилуй. Господи, помилуй.

Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy

Witness to God

nastursiums with water droplets. Light transforming darkness.
photo: Mr G

Martyrs – God’s witnesses

We probably don’t get as excited and inspired by stories of Christian martyrs as did the early Christians.
Of course, we in England, don’t have to face persecution for our faith in the same way that they did
—though many Christians throughout the world are imprisoned or killed for believing in Jesus Christ and living their lives as Christians.

Last Monday, February 16th, the Church remembered Janani Luwum , Archbishop of Uganda, who died in a car ‘accident’ in 1977. This proved to be no accident because his death was ordered by the dictator Idi Amin, the tyrant who found the opposition of the Christian Church to his harsh rule too much to bear. Janani was a voice Amin decided to silence so his death was arranged. He became one of the countless martyrs to the Christian faith in a century in which more Christians died than any other.

A martyrs’ death always inspired the Church in the past. Not only did it remind Christians of the costliness of discipleship, it also stood as a witness to those who believe that we too are to stand firm in our faith against opposition.
Today we may not live in a country where we shall be murdered for going to Church but there are many signs that Christianity no longer holds the place in British society than it did, nor is the Christian way of life all that popular. In a sea of indifference, witnessing to God is as powerful today as it was in the face of active persecution.

One of the most inspiring stories of martyrdom comes from the early days of the Church. In 155AD, St Polycarp was put to death by a Roman Governor because he refused to renounce his belief in Jesus. He is remembered today, February 23^rd. He had been Bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor for 40 years when the Roman Emperor demanded that Christians turn away from Christ and swear that only Caesar was lord. Polycarp refused and he made what has become a classic statement of faith:

“Eighty and Six years have I served Him and He has done me no wrong.
How then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour. I am a Christian.”

Polycarp paid the price for his witness to Jesus and the account of his martyrdom swept through the Christian world becoming a strength for many others who faced persecution. He became what TS Eliot said in his play ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ – one of those who was used by God for his love of men, to warn them and to lead them, to bring them back to his ways.

Though we may not be put to death or imprisoned for our faith, it isn’t true for everyone today. There is plenty of evidence that people of faith suffer for what they believe and even in countries like the United Kingdom we are still called to a life of witness against a background of indifference, ridicule, unbelief , hatred and verbal opposition.
When we are up against it and our faith is under attack it is in the martyrs lives (and deaths) that we can find a strengthening of our own faith. We are reminded that ordinary Christians with faith like ours refused to deny that faith even when it was costly to keep it.

During Lent, Polycarp can be our inspiration too. We serve God because he has blessed our lives (and so done us no wrong but rather done us good!) and so we can be proud to call ourselves Christians. If during Lent we meditate on just how much good God has done for us and resolve, therefore, to serve him as witnesses in the world, whatever the cost, then Lent will become a time in which our faith is made more strong and when we are led back to his ways—the way of self-giving Love.

[Mr G. 23rd Feb 2026]

PS> Though this article is written from a Christian standpoint, other religions are called to witness to God and also to lead costly and sacrificial lives. Let all who love and are loved by God share in showing the meaning of that love to a world so desperately in need of it, and of God.

Ordinary Time?

*Photos by Gill Henwood of Hellebore & Rhododendron in her Lakeland Garden*

The short period between the end of the Christmas Season (at Candlemass on February 2^nd) and Lent, is known in the Church as ‘Ordinary Time’.
As far as Nature is concerned this is very far from the truth. In the Western Hemisphere and particularly in Europe we are moving into the season of Spring. Though in many parts of Europe it has been a particularly stormy and wet period of late, there are many signs that there is new life emerging from the earth.

The photos which my friend Gill Henwood has sent show “hellebores in full flower and an early rhododendron.” She says that “both were budding before Christmas and, so far, have weathered frost and wind”, not forgetting hares which have turned their attention towards other plants this year!
The Christmas Box plant has been wafting beautiful scent throughout Cristmastide. The aroma is fabulous even on dark mornings and dark night walks in the garden. For Gill, this is a reminder of the Frankincense of Christmas.

The ‘Greening’ of the earth which Gill’s photos point to is being experienced through the emergence of buds and bulbs shooting on branches and in the soil. Crocus and daffodil are close behind. My tulips are pushing leaves through the top of the pots, seeking the breath of light and life. This morning, near the church path, buds and a dusting of green spoke to me of God’s amazing creative activity. This Winter has been harsh for many and the world situation is so dire that there is a need for us to re-focus.

Right on cue we can fill our lungs with a breath of hope and wonder.
We can find joy in the singing of the birds and soon the animal kingdom will fill our fields, forests & woodlands and gardens with new life. Bees and butterflies, insects and worms will populate our gardens, hedgerows,lakes and ponds. So much new life and growth will teem and swirl, dance full of life and reach to heaven as the trees prepare to become shade and homes and hiding places for all manner of creation..

And we? The Spirituality of Nature lifts our souls from creation to Creator.
All this is gift from our giving God!
And in a mutual thanksgiving, our part is to be custodians and stewards of the earth, living in deep friendship with Creation, Nature, and with all who allow us to share this earth with them.

As the poet Rumi reminds us:

In this earth,
in this immaculate field,
we shall not plant any seeds
except for compassion,
except for love.

Such a giving from God leaves no room for anything from us but compassion and love for all.
Hardly an Ordinary Time!

[Mr G. with thanks and love to Gill Henwood for her wonderful photos
and comments.]

Seeking the Truth and Grace of God together

Photo from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

Thoughts during The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Last week at a funeral, I met a relative of the girl who had died. It was a Christian funeral but he was a Muslim relative. He was amongst members of the family who came from France but he had been brought up in Algeria.
Despite the language and faith differences we managed to have quite a chat! Inevitably we touched on our differing faiths but soon found level ground when we talked about Abraham, known biblically as the ‘father of the nations’. The Muslim faith together with the Christian and the Jewish faiths all have Abraham in common. We can all trace our roots back to him which is why we sometimes refer to being Abrahamic in origin.
I always enjoy these chance encounters because, if we concentrate on what we hold in common, they are often very enriching. God, Prayer and worship are the bedrock of all our religions.

Later, I thought about the many conversations and dealings I have had with those of other faiths. For example, I support a small charity named, Abraham’s Children in Crisis, which touches the lives of a group of children and young people living in the West Bank of Israel. Most are Muslim but there are no barriers and some are Jewish.
They are supported in their education and medical care by Christians here in Britain.
I know their names; what they look like; how they are struggling and how they support each other. I thought of them often during these troubled times. In a small way I try to share their fragile lives.

Some time ago now I was at a wedding which was a double one – in that it was held first in London at the Cyprian Orthodox Cathedral because the husband was an Orthodox Christian. We then travelled to Kolkata for a Hindu ceremony because Rumi was of the Hindu Faith. Both ceremonies were fascinating and very moving. I was enriched by the experience . One of my special Internet blog friends is KK who is also an Hindu so I feel a sense of closeness to him because of Rumi’s wedding.
Another Rumi has a special place in my life because I am deeply inspired by his poetry. He is the famous 13^th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic.Within Christianity I have discovered and engaged with many differing believers in Jesus Christ, whom we claim as our Lord and King.
My own journey of faith began with its roots partly in Roman Catholicism. I was then sent to a Methodist Sunday School and I am now a strong adherent to the Anglican practice of the Christian Faith. Who knows where I’ll end up!

I am pondering these thoughts because this week, followers of Jesus Christ are keeping Christian Unity Week.
Many things have happened throughout our history to divide us and even within particular denominations there is much brokenness and need for repentance but there is, at heart, a God who loves us and cares for us as His children.

It sometimes feels that what gets in the way of Unity – the sense that we are united as all God’s children- is because every church or group seem to think that they alone have the truth.(Bit like some world political leaders just now!)
How false is that!
I think that’s why I love and respect what the former Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, says that only in heaven is there Truth. On earth there are truths. God is the only real truth and all over the globe people are seeking to answer that profound question of Pilate to Jesus at his trial – what is truth?
Truth on earth, Rabbi Sacks says, is not, nor can it aspire to be, the whole truth. It is limited, not comprehensive; particular, not universal. What propositions conflict is not necessarily because one is true and the other false He suggests that the difference is because we are coming at something from different angles but both are only part of the truth
I believe that we can only look to God for the real answer and anyone who claims to hold THE truth exclusive of others, is bound to be mistaken. We can only learn truth if we listen to others and share our insights with each other and, of course, listen to God together in prayer.
There is so much to learn and be excited by the story of people’s journey of faith and the joy and encouragement that brings to my own journey. We all have so much to share with each other and so much to discover about God.

There is much in Judaism I admire and there is much in Islam that I respect. My Hindu hairdresser in the North taught me a lot about prayer in the family. I love the joyful and convincing hymn-singing and biblical insights of the Methodists. I like the ritual and devotion of the Roman Catholic Church. I love the ceremonies of High Anglicanism; the intellectual honesty of Anglican theology; the exuberant praise worship of our evangelical brethren.
I draw strength from Celtic insights into the sacredness of places and people; I enjoy the simple rhythm of Taizé; I find enrichment in ancient prayer forms like the Labyrinth; I adore the Orthodox Liturgy.
I am reduced to silence by the witness of monastic places like Bec in Normandy, where prayer is the breath of the place;
I like the simplicity of worship in a quiet rural church and my heart soars during Anglican Cathedral Evensong. I am loving being spiritually fed by Pope Leo!
I find talking and listening to other believers fascinating.

And God is in all that and in much, much more. He is bigger than all our concepts of Him or He would not be God.
Wide Vision goes with deep exploration. God is always teaching us something new.
Evelyn Underhill spoke of all our differing expressions of faith as ‘Chapels in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit’. I like that.

We are all part of the Universal People of God. What gives any church real authenticity is if, in the words of Michael Ramsey, we are filled with the grace-giving presence of Jesus Christ. Grace-filled churches have no need of labels. They simply reflect God and so try to live in close friendship with GOD, the giver of Grace and Truth.

[Mr G. 2oth January 2026]