To Know Is to Love

in this country, participation in churches is declining.  the church where i play three sundays per month has only about fifty regular attendees, and the church of which i am a member has seen its membership decline dramatically over the past several years.  in both churches, fewer young couples with children are active participants.  the percentage of retirees in the congregations is much larger than was the case ten years ago.  as older members have died, fewer younger members have taken their places.

this trend is evident across our nation.  the suspension of in-person worship and other church programs during covid has taken a toll.  many people have become accustomed to watching church services from home and have not returned to church now that restrictions on attendance have been lifted.  this stay-at-home worship has turned active participants into observers so that the sense of being a part of a group has become weaker.  to my surprise, i have learned that i feel less motivated to attend worship on sundays when i don't play for a service.  the thing i miss is the connection to others rather than the content of the service.  now that the danger of becoming infected with covid has lessened, i achieve that connection by participating in other activities, such as our monthly senior luncheon, and visiting with others who are in the building when i go to practice.  i suspect others have had similar experiences now that we have entered this period after the greatest threat from covid has passed.

i don't know how churches can continue to keep their doors open, as their membership and revenue decline.  as income declines, there is less money to pay for staffing, leading to reductions in programs and greater demands on remaining staff and volunteers.  the lack of opportunities for participation exacerbates the twin problems of diminishing income and membership.   

there are many other reasons for the decline in church membership and participation.  chief among them is the decline in belief in the church's traditional teachings.  at the same time, those who hold to fundamentalist teachings, such as the condemnation of same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay clergy or opposition to abortion, have left mainline churches that have been supportive of gay and women's rights to attend non-denominational and conservative churches.  others have abandoned the church altogether because it has refused to support what they see as basic human rights.  they see churches that proclaim a message of love while individual members live as though their hearts are filled with hate.  the contrast between what the church preaches and how its members live has driven many from its doors.

may we find ways to form connections to others as church membership declines.  may we see the benefits of such ties to one another.  may we live our lives honestly and learn to love one another despite our differences in beliefs.  may we recognize the need for larger circles of caring beyond our immediate families and close friends.  if the church is to play a smaller role in our society, may we figure out how to replace it with other ways of connecting to one another.  shalom.

Good Will Towards All

i am writing this week about the concept of interdependence.  everything and everyone is connected.  we are connected to the farmers who raise our food, to the equipment the farmers use, to those who manufacture the equipment, to those who supply the raw materials from which the equipment is made, to the plants that produce the seed which grows into the food that is harvested, to those who transport the food to market, to the employees of the stores where the food is sold . . . the list could go on and on.  none of us is independent of other beings and other things.  in every facet of our lives, we could compile lists of all those people and objects on which we are dependent, and each of those lists would have multiple connections to other lists.

those who have a false conception of what individual freedom means forget how we are all connected.  no one "makes it on their own."  we all owe what we are and have to our connections to others.  we are the products of everyone who has gone before us, and we continue to exist because of our dependence on others.  we are all the children, siblings, and parents of each other.  as such, we must recognize our obligations to love and care for all of creation.  as we watch russians and ukrainians kill one another, their loss is our loss.  the world is changed by each death, no matter how far away, just as it is changed by each birth.  because a certain person in a place we may have never heard of dies, the ripples from that death flow outward to all who knew that person, to all who know those affected most intimately by that death and eventually to every person on earth.  our living and dying affect so many whose lives we touch in ways we are unaware of.

one of my favorite christmas movies is "it's a wonderful life."  in this movie, the main character has the opportunity to see what life in his town would have been like if he had never existed.  we see his brother drowning after falling through the ice in a pond because no one was there to save him.  we see his mother turned into a bitter boarding house owner after the death of her husband because no one was there to help support her as she grew old.  we see the impoverishment of the town because the building and loan that enabled many to escape poverty no longer existed.  we see a drunken druggist sent to prison because no one was there to stop him from sending a wrong prescription out to a sick person.  everywhere the main character turns, the effects of his absence from the town's life are seen.  he soon realizes that his was a life worth living and that the good he did and the sacrifices he made were important to the well-being of countless others.

we must ask ourselves what life would be like on this planet had we not existed.  did we have a good effect or a bad one?  probably the answer is a mixture of both.  we hope that, on the whole, the lives of others are better because we have lived.  if we can't live in that hope, we must make changes so that others are benefited from our having lived.  this is our karma: that others are better off or worse off for us being on this planet.  it is not that we followed the rules of a vengeful god, but rather that our kindheartedness enabled others to live happier, more fulfilling lives.

may we examine our lives to discern what actions flow from the contents of our heart.  may others benefit from our actions.  may the world be better off because we have lived.  may we recognize that we cannot exist as independent beings, that we are all interconnected with everything that exists, has existed, and will exist.  may our hearts overflow with love and good will.  shalom.

I'd Sing Out Love

it is impossible to stop thinking about the war in ukraine.  as i watch the wanton destruction of this country, individual ukrainians stand out in my mind.  their bravery in the face of the russian onslaught is inspiring.  in this post i want to write about a few who fill me with admiration.  

the most obvious hero of the war is president zelensky.  we saw his unwillingness to bow to pressure when our former president tried to intimidate him into being a partner in a failed attempt to investigate president biden's son, hunter, for his involvement in ukrainian business.  just as he refused to bow to pressure then, he has not given in to the russian tyrant and the russian armed forces.  he has rallied his people by standing firm in kyiv when he and his family could have been evacuated to safety.  as russian forces appear to be preparing for the battle for control of the ukrainian capital, he remains there, ready to fight alongside other brave ukrainians.  he exemplifies leadership at its best, as he suffers along with the people of his country in defiance of overwhelming russian military might.

i saw the video of armed men carrying the mayor of melitopol away.  we are told that the mayor, ivan fedorov, was working at his desk adorned with the ukrainian flag when his office was invaded, and he was forced to leave.  his whereabouts are unknown, and president zelenksy has called for his release by his kidnappers.  apparently, mr. fedorov refused to cooperate with occupying russian forces and was forcibly removed from office.  several thousand citizens of his city rallied in his support in the town square.  this brave young man exemplifies the unwillingness of ukrainans to bow to putin's demands and surrender their country to his control.

there was a news interview of a ukrainian-american who had returned to his birthplace to fight the russians.  he was an american citizen who had served in afghanistan in the armed forces of this country.  when he saw the desperate plight of the people of ukraine, he left the safety of the usa and went to help in their struggle.  now he is putting himself in harm's way to defend the independence of the people with whom he shares a heritage.

another news story told of several ukrainian ballet dancers, both male and female, who returned to their homeland to aid in its defense.  they could have continued their careers in western europe, but they chose to abandon them because of their love for their country.  

a young man who spoke fluent english told of his efforts to communicate with the world outside ukraine, relaying information through social media about conditions inside his country.  he told the interviewer with whom he spoke that he was not trained to fight, but he believed he could best defend his country by using his skills to tell the world of his people's struggle.

there are many other stories of brave ukrainian patriots.  in all of them, we see deep love for country, determination to prevent its takeover by putin's armed forces, and compassion for others, even for the enemy.  we are learning much about a country that many of us would have had difficulty finding on a map before this war began.  our hearts are filled with admiration for them as they fight this battle.

may we learn from the example of the ukrainian people who refuse to surrender their independence.  may we do whatever we can to assist them, even though that may mean paying a few dollars more for each tank of gas.  may we be united in our support of their efforts to repel the invaders.  may their struggle be our struggle.  shalom.

The Cruel War Is Raging

as the war in ukraine rages, i've tried to put myself in the place of ordinary unkrainians.  i watch them as they are interviewed on tv and listen to their stories of loss, fear, and bravery.  i see their compassion for young russian soldiers who have been captured, as these soldiers express their bewilderment at being forced into a conflict that they don't understand while being offered food and a chance to call loved ones back in russia.  i see how torn many ukrainians are when confronted the choice of whether to stay and fight or flee to save their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.

as i look around my comfortable home where i'm surrounded by beautiful things, i contemplate being forced to leave it as the enemy's bombs come closer.  i think about what it would be like to give up everything i've spent my life collecting to escape to safety in another place, knowing that if i am ever able to return all will be lost.  it must be awful for a mother and her children to say good-bye to a husband and father who is staying to fight as they go to a safe location in another part of the country or across the border.  i wonder if i could have done what many ukrainian men have done as they said what could be their last farewell to their families.  

i try to put myself in the place of the young russian soldiers who are caught up in this conflict.  ill-trained and poorly equipped, they are being sent as cannon fodder to face death because of a mad leader intent on forcing his will on the ukrainian people.  they see their common humanity with the ukrainians they have been sent to kill, and many of them lay down their arms or turn around and head back toward the russian border.  i wonder what fate awaits them after the war is over.  perhaps they will be executed by their government or sent to prison camps in siberia.  perhaps they will make it home to loved ones and escape retribution.  others follow orders and play their parts in the killing machine of which they are a part, either having convinced themselves that the lies of their leaders are true or accepting their fate as pawns on a stage they did not choose.

the world is filled with admiration for the ukrainians who are fighting fiercely to hold off the onslaught on their homeland.  they have refused to accept the analysis of military experts that fighting the might of the russian army is futile and have fought bravely and brilliantly.  we hope against hope for a negotiated peace that will leave ukraine intact as a sovereign, democratic nation.  perhaps putin's military commanders and his wealthy cronies will turn against him and bring the war and his leadership to an end.  the situation is not good for either side now, but it ordinary ukrainians that are suffering most.  no matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to understand fully what they are experiencing.

may we be filled with deep compassion for their suffering.  may we do what we can to aid them.  may we support our government and its allies who are aiding the ukrainians in whatever ways are possible short of expanding the armed conflict.  may we see that they and the russians who are invading their country are like us, that they are us and we are them.  may we sense our common humanity and work for peace among individuals, clans, and nations.  shalom.

Give Peace a Chance

as i begin writing this, the battle for kyiv is raging.  by the time it is published in a couple of days, the situation may have changed dramatically.  for now, we watch in horror as the russian armed forces invade ukraine.  we feel powerless to help.  our hearts are filled with admiration for the ukrainians as they fight to defend their country.  undoubtedly, many of them will die, including innocent civilians killed by the indiscriminate bombing of their cities.  others will be combatants who have chosen to take up arms in their country's defense.  we ask ourselves why putin has chosen to send his country's armed forces to take over his neighbor which has done nothing more than to assert ukraine's sovereignty and right to self-determination. 

many countries, including our own, have instituted sanctions against the russian government and the oligarchs who control it.  some have furnished military equipment to the ukrainian armed forces.  short of sending in troops, the industrialized democracies of the world are providing aid in every way possible.  as the fight plays out, we will see if their actions, coupled with the bravery of the ukrainian people,  are enough to affect putin's aggression.  many brave russians have spoken out against their country's actions.  some have taken to the streets and have been arrested as they stage peaceful protests.  there has even been one report of russian soldiers surrendering in protest of their orders to kill their neighbors in ukraine.

president zelensky has provided a model of leadership and bravery to his people and the world.  when offered american assistance in evacuating the capital, his statement, "i need ammunition, not a ride, the fight is here," will no doubt become a rallying cry for all those who fight oppression.  his refusal to abandon his people and his willingness to give up his own life for the sake of his country's freedom is heroic.  he is one of many heroes struggling in this david-versus-goliath battle.  we pray that the david-that-is-ukraine will triumph as did the legendary david.  

comparisons to hitler's actions in invading poland are inevitable.  this time the aggressor is meeting much stiffer resistance than was the case in the earlier dictator's war against a weaker neighbor.  we hope that the steps taken by ukraine's many friends around the world, coupled with the resolve of the ukrainian people, will cause putin to reconsider his destructive path.  perhaps a diplomatic resolution of the differences between the two countries will emerge before the invasion has decimated ukraine.

may we support our government and governments around the world as they come to ukraine's aid.  may we learn from the example of the brave ukrainians who are willing to lay down their lives for the ideals in which they believe.  may the russian fighters see the folly of war and refuse to be used as pawns in their leader's global chess match.  may the world turn from the path of destruction of human life and embrace peaceful ways of resolving differences between nations and one another.  shalom.