“Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly…” – James 4:1-3a
These haunting words were read in the Epistle chosen for the Moliében (Supplicatory) Service for Peace at St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral this past Wednesday evening, Jan 26, as the local church gathered in response to Pope Francis’ call for a day of prayer in view of impending violence in Ukraine. Bishop Paul, Fr. Ihor (the rector), a few clergy and many faithful were joined by a few from our church, along with Stamford government representatives and pastors from the Interfaith community. I could easily identify many elements of this service that connect with the way the Orthodox Church prays in time of need.
Our worship appealed especially to the Theotokos for her intercession before Christ for mercy, forgiveness, and non-violent resolution. It was moving, non-judgmental, and convicting. After all, who among us – as persons, politicians or nations – can claim that we are in perfect control of our own compulsions and desires for revenge, to acquire more than we really need, to judge and despise those who disagree with our position? Do we all not need to change?
Even though I am aware of the tortured relationship over centuries between Ukraine and Russia (in which Ukraine mostly got the short end of the stick and suffered terribly), there was an absence of any sense of moral superiority or desire for victory if war breaks out. On the contrary, the service and the general atmosphere were imbued with distinct humility before God who alone controls the destiny of nations, along with ardent desire for forgiveness and peace.
Before the service, when I inquired privately with Bishop Paul about how the people of Ukraine were doing, he was matter of fact in indicating that they have lived with so much suffering and deprivation in the past, along with threats and various forms of violence in the present (not just bullets flying from the rifles of snipers, but psychological warfare designed to divide and scare), that they are actually quite composed as they prepare for the worst but pray and hope for the best. Then he added, “They are doing much better than we, unaccustomed as we are to the kind of long-term suffering and struggling that they have lived with for so long.”
Aeschylus, the ancient Greek playwright of tragedies, once wrote, “Truth is the first casualty of war.”
Let’s pray – and act – for the preservation of the truth in the face of national, not just human, weakness that all too often leads to violence.
