I have a loving family and a warm house. I have enough to eat and I am safe. So I will not insult you by complaining ad nauseam about the world or the war in Ukraine. (At least not too long)... I know of wars in other parts of the world that have not gotten as much coverage and support in both prayer and money. I acknowledge this privilege and deep good fortune. I sit in my home and answer the phone when the war charities call and I throw a few drops of water in to help extinguish the flames of war...And yet...I know I am safe...I should not fear....and yet...
And yet... my heart hurts and I have been unable to write. For what can I say that could possibly help? Why has the free will of old rich men now turned yet another part of the world into chaos and fear? I deeply wish with everything in me that the leaders with the war fever could be locked in a room together and not allowed to leave until they come to a solution. Why oh why do we allow families to be separated and hurt in the 21st century? I desperately wish it is possible for the peace on Earth we visualize.
'Tower of Mothers' by Käthe Kollwitz. Image source: wdr.de
The visual I have chosen for this blog is a German work of art called "Turm der Mütter" or
"Tower of Mothers" (sculpted by Käthe Kollwitz in 1938). It sits in a museum in nearby Cologne Germany. It is a strong reminder that mothers and parents will protect their children from war, no matter what. It is a strong representation of the fear we stomp down to show our children they are safe. The promise, that we will do all we can to keep the world safe for them... until we cannot... we assume as we look at this art the mothers are shields and the fathers are off on the battlefield. A quote from Diana Cooper and her Facebook page comes to mind: The Universe rewards courage.
I pray this is true. For I think of the people defending homes and those fleeing when they have no choice, and am reminded courage comes in many forms.
In the days and weeks that war moved just a bit closer to me than it was the month previously, I try to focus on a few bright spots in the world of spirituality that I have clung to as I feel disillusioned.
We have Amanda Ellis, who in her videos holds a mirror up to the spiritual communities and reminds us to not do spiritual bypassing or gaslighting, and let us admit that we have work to do. We need to improve ourselves, doing deep work, and start the peace by BEING the peace we want to see in the world and continue to shine a light in the world. Whatever that may mean for you, well that is your path, but above all else show love, show compassion, show caring for our fellow humans when and where possible. I loved her visualization of imagining holding a wet blanket to calm the fever of war in all who crave it. I know her work is much more nuanced and in-depth than this, but these are the bits I remember to give myself hope.
We have Steve Judd, who tells us things will somehow will calm down in April and I hold that possibility close to me. He warns of canceling an entire culture and reminds us that the average Russian has absolutely nothing to do with this call to war. I have friends who are both Ukrainian and Russian and I can concur, both are lovely people who desperately want to live in peace. It is not lost on me that we teach children that it is not right to punish many for the actions of a few and yet is that not what we do? I am simply pointing out that this is one of the many unjust things about war that tears me up inside the way it tears up many.
And the final bright light in my day these past few has been Diana Cooper. This 80 plus-year-old light in the world has published daily peace meditations to help calm those who are anxious and beam the frequency of peace out into the world. There is something about Diana Cooper that I almost believe that if she were to enter a room and tell someone to stop the war and behave, well they just would do it and listen.
There are many other beautiful practitioners out here on the internet doing their part, but these three stand out to me strongly and have reminded me to stay calm and carry on. Continue to help where you can when you can, any way you can. Since this theme is Faith, I thought it worthwhile to quote a passage about Archangel Faith from page 130 of The Female Archangels by Claire Stone:
"Even if you have had the worst luck ever, and even if all your life you have only known suffering, Lady Faith will gradually help you to build your faith. She can help you to become a lot more optimistic, and just see what happens when you do, faith grows!"
"Lady Faith can help you to develop a sense of trust in others. We have all had our fingers burned in the past which can leave us doubtful whether or not we can trust people. But we can't allow past experiences to taint our expectations or to project upon others.
"Lady Faith is very passionate about bridging broken bonds and restoring trust between men and women, but especially among women at the is time. The Age of Aquarius heralds the return of Sisterhood and it will be the harmony between women that restores our communities. This grand rebuild has already begun, but we must continue to establish a sense of trust between ourselves."
Image source: Keepers of the Light by Kyle Gray
So there it is, a few quotes and summaries of things that made me find a spark of hope in the last few weeks. Men don't feel left out, there are a large number of men walking away from toxicity and hate and I want to make sure that I acknowledge you all. Humanity is slowly awakening and coming together to decry war. Hope and faith exist. Good people exist, and we must keep going, I lift a prayer that our children are wiser. May miracles happen and may the believers of peace and faith be stronger than the war machine. God bless us all. Maybe tomorrow I will have something inspiring to say. But for today, I thank people like Amanda Ellis, Steve Judd, Diana Cooper, and Claire Stone for shining bits of light in dark times. May we hold the light, and be the peace we want to see in the world. May all people decide today is the day we no longer want war.
Wishing you safety and peace,
Meg
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