If humanity does not rid the world of war;it will be war that will throw humanity out of history.

February 24th marks the beginning of the 3rd year of the War that Putin of Russia is waging against Ukraine.
There is a growing sense of weariness amongst Ukraine’s western allies and a preoccupation with other conflicts.
How easy to would be to abandon the people of Ukraine to a fate that is unthinkable. Above is artwork by Shamsai Hassani, the artist from Afghanistan who continues to draw our thoughts and prayers to the plight of our world and therefore of each other.
I have given the title of this piece, Our Father..the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer. It begins in Ukranian. If you are able, please pray it in your own language.

The Prayer below has been written by a Ukrainian family who are being hosted by the Black Country Methodist Circuit.
Lord God of power,
You alone work miracles, so be kind to all and hear us.
Help us God, our Saviour, and deliver the people of Ukraine from persecution.
Come to our aid and destroy the intentions and unrighteous boldness of those who go to war against our people.
Calm those who oppose your commandments.
Grant us all peace, salvation and joy in our hearts.
For you are protection and salvation for those who trust in you.
We give you glory, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever.
Amen

The prayer below is a response to a request by the United Reform Church (UK) made to young people who are refugees in the UK. They were asked what we should pray for on the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

God who hears,
For two years we have prayed, mourned and lamented.
Two years of war in Ukraine.
Two years of invasion, of violence, of death.
Sometimes it slips from news broadcasts and from people’s consciousness.
But we know you, O God, have not forgotten.
We hold before you refugees who still feel like strangers,
unsure when or if they will ever see and hug loved ones again.
Keep safe those who remain in Ukraine.
Protect them from the mental and physical wounds of war.
We ask for a miraculous end to this bloodshed.
Help us, even when we feel powerless, to act where we can.
To care, to listen, to sit with those who grieve.
To give, to protest, to continue to pray:

Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as in Heaven.
Amen.

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

[Lord’s Prayer in Ukranian checked by Tania Andrienko of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv]

MR.G.