UKRAINE!

It's so easy for human nature to tune out such a catastrophe and even turn it into something abstract and, hence, "manageable" in one's mind. . . to check the headlines as one would the daily baseball scores, to get a sense of where we are in the "contest."
Go Ukraine, boo Russia!

There really is a discernment issue at stake, however, as the reality is so horrendous and the manifestation of evil so blatant that one must monitor its repercussions in one's psyche and spirit. Tuning out completely seems one extreme, gorging on the news in morbid curiosity another.
For me, it is an issue of being in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, not just intellectually or in principle, but affectively, too. It is about praying for them and for a peaceful resolution of the crisis while in touch with those feelings, knowing that Christ is the bond between us, and that he is the comforter of all who mourn. We cannot pray enough about Ukraine and related issues, for there are very dark powers at work there; the lies, cruelty and blatant disregard for human life bear witness to such. Evil is real, and mucking about in Ukraine.

Last week, flying home from a wedding in North Carolina, I had all sorts of travel difficulties. At one point, in the midst of my frustrations, I thought of the Ukrainians, and how my problems were peanuts compared to theirs. I was in a safe place, the airline would get me home, my city was not under attack, and I would resume my weekday life shortly.

It was not so long ago that this safety existed in Ukraine as well. A delusional narcissist with grandiose notions of empire came crashing down on their society, threatening the peace and security of the entire world order. I re-focused my attitude, happy to be in the U.S., but it was a reminder that security in this world is very fragile.