The Pennsylvania Council of Churches, its member churches, and supporters all feel the pain and suffering that is playing out in Ukraine. In the onslaught of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. We deplore the violation of international law, the destruction, and the spilling of innocent blood. As people of faith, we search for peace and encourage the diplomatic resolution of international disputes, however, we also affirm the will of the Ukrainian people, seeking to protect their nation from the violation of their country.
We call upon the international community to stand up in opposition to Russian aggression and its “war of choice” in Ukraine. The world community must now become a fulcrum of justice that halts the killing machine of war. We appeal to the Russian people to stand against this war, to affirm the lives of the Ukrainian people and Ukraine’s freedom to grow and move as an autonomous nation within the international community.
We also take this opportunity to reach out to Ukrainian-Americans in our midst. Some in our community have family and loved ones who are presently facing the hell of war. As people of faith, we stand ready to pray with you, however, we also intend to stand with you in your pain, anxiety, and your losses. It takes committed people to challenge evil and oppression. We must stand up to bullies, even when the bully is a nation state.
What is happening in Ukraine is not simply about ideology, military strategy, or political theory. It is about real lives, children traumatized by war, women; children; aged men fleeing their nation under the threat of aerial bombardment, Russian troops and cruise missile launches.
The color of the Ukrainian flag is blue and yellow. We are encouraging Christians throughout the state to wear blue and yellow on the first Sunday of March 6th as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, a champion of peace and mindfulness, once paddled up a river with a group of monks as gunfire erupted on both sides. His mission was to deliver food and medical supplies to victims of the Vietnam War. The monks did not take sides in the war but there was a guiding principle that directed their mission. This is what he said, “when bombs begin to fall on people, you cannot stay in the meditation hall all the time. Meditation is about the awareness of what is going on, not only in your body and in your feelings, but all around you.”
The present crisis in Ukraine is our call to move outside of ourselves. Let us take the challenge to confront despotic rule wherever it appears in the world. We all need somebody to lean on. Right now, it is the Ukrainian people who need our support.
In solidarity,
Larry D. Pickens
Executive Director
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