Children's hospitals are now being bombed by Vladimir Putin. These are war crimes that necessitate bringng Putin to justice

 

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:13-15

Lately, I've read news accounts of Ukrainian orphanages being destroyed by Russian forces. In one CBN report, a Ukrainian woman found a 10-year-old boy running down a street all alone and as she got closer she noticed that he had tears streaming down his eyes. She picked him up and gave him a hug which the boy reciprocated. I've learned that a hug is a universal language of expressing love to another person.

 Every day there are new accounts of attacks on ordinary Ukrainian citizens. Shortly after the cease-fire was announced, there were reports of citizens being shot and killed as they try to run for safety in the supposed safe corridor established by the peace negotiators.  When this happened, one had the impression that Vladimir Putin simply doesn't care who he hurts in this war along his way toward reestablishing the old Soviet Union.

One report said there were so many dead bodies lying in the street they will  have a mass burial for those who died.

As I think about those images, I'm overwhelmed by grief for these people and for the survivors who knew them.  Trauma appears to be lingering everywhere in this country. 

Just think for a moment that just 3 weeks ago these people were just like you and me in America. They had jobs to support their families.  They planned vacations, date nights out with their spouses, they took their children to dance and soccer practices until the unthinkable happened. Think of the trauma of having to say goodbye to your wife and kids before sending them off to Poland for safety and wondering if you will ever see them again?   This mad man Putin was so insane with power that it didn't matter who he killed to accomplish his goal of a unified Soviet Union.

 A hug is a universal language of expressing love to another person. Hugs were given all the time at the border before wives and children departed for safety while husbands return to fight the Russians. In a war-torn country such as Ukraine, a hug or a word of encouragement is all they need to give them a will to survive.

 When you think about it, Jesus wants you to be His hands and feet. The love and support you show someone will communicate to them how important they are in this traumatized world they live in. These once proud people are going to need us to be the hands and feet of Jesus

 The state of Israel is rising up to be the hands and feet of Jesus by their willingness to rescue thousands of Ukrainian Jewish people from their devastated homeland. The people of Israel understand the impact that trauma can have on people ravaged by war and have been prepared by God through their experiences in Nazi Germany to help these people heal. 

For many of us experiencing loss, it is normal to wonder if we will ever get beyond our pain. But, if we continue to put one foot in front of the other as we journey this pain, eventually we will see our faith grow and our ability to help others heal increase- and that is the most beautiful part of being a Christian which is that God often uses our pain in our lives to comfort those entering their own pain.  As I close this blog, it is my hope that God will see an end to this conflict in Ukraine. May one day in the future the Ukrainian people can once again return to their homeland where they establish new roots in the soil that has fed them for generations.  

Our God is truly an awesome God!