Ukraine And The Elusive ‘Where?’

Today’s paper… Day 79 of the Russia-Ukraine war: ‘Russian forces pounded areas in Ukraine’s east yesterday, including the last pocket of resistance in besieged Mariupol…’

‘…Already the war has unleashed staggering destruction, killed thousands and forced millions from their homes…’

‘…reporters heard explosions yesterday and saw plumes of smoke near the town of Bakhmut, an area of Donbas that has seen heavy fighting.’

We see the war each day. We continue to ask ‘Where is the humanity and compassion?’ ‘Where is sense and justice?’ ‘Where is hope, peace and the end to the war?’

Unanswered questions. The elusive ‘where?’

Lyn and Martin head up a ‘Ukraine Support Group’ at church, linked to ‘Waveney Hosts Together’ (a local group for families hosting Ukrainians)

Our ‘USG’ are providing ‘welcome boxes’ for Ukrainians arriving. So far we’ve delivered about 15… Yesterday Martin asked if anyone could deliver a couple of boxes to Bungay (15-20 miles away). I volunteered…

I was given the addresses. One was ‘St Cross’ the other ‘St Margaret’, two rural Suffolk villages in what’s known locally as ‘the Saints’.

Another case of the elusive ‘where?’ The Saints have a reputation a bit like the Bermuda triangle… they’re difficult to find and difficult to escape from…

The boxes were delivered. Kathy will pick up her Ukrainian lady from Stansted Airport next Wednesday; Susie’s Ukrainian lady and her 11 year old son arrived about a week ago.

And I found my way home…

For many there’s another elusive ‘where?’: Where is God in the Ukrainian conflict?

Sister Wendy On Prayer: ‘Probably the absolute in suffering is the Holocaust… We are told that a rabbi in Auschwitz cried out plaintively to God, ‘Where are you Lord?’ His answer was, ‘I am with you. I too am in Auschwitz.’

‘God who accepted being crucified – Jesus on the cross….He suffers with us. He suffers in us. He makes suffering bearable.’

Musing… God’s elusive ‘where?’… The mystery of a suffering God…