Ira (Kyiv)
I went outside tonight after dark and was amazed by the beauty and depth of the starry summer sky. It’s hard to believe that a few hundred kilometers away, there’s no room for this quiet contemplation. Instead, there are explosions from the Russian bombs. As I’m writing this, the firefighters are rescuing people after a missile strike on the Odesa region. A couple of hours before, there was a report on heavy shelling of Nikopol (Dnipropetrovsk region). Mykolaiv and Kharkiv are under attack every day. Lots of towns remain under occupation. What does their sky look like?
Earlier today, I read Psalm 145 and was meditating on it throughout the day. Honestly, I had mixed feelings. I wanted to praise God as David does in this Psalm, yet I was having a hard time because the war continues, and many of our prayers remain unanswered (for now).
However, it all fell into place when I saw the photo accompanying today’s post. A young guy stands with a Ukrainian flag in front of the destroyed drama theater in the occupied Mariupol (https://bit.ly/3IOmX4i). He dared to do it despite harsh persecutions for as much as the Ukrainian language or Ukrainian colors. For example, a 23-year-old girl was arrested there today for wearing a yellow-and-blue ribbon in her hair.
Seeing this resilience and courage reassured me of Ukraine’s victory, even if it will not happen for a while. The Old Testament prophets sometimes wrote about future events using the past tense, as if they had already happened because they were so confident that these events would happen. It’s the anticipation with certainty that gives you the foretaste of the expected and this almost tangible confidence. Today’s picture and this understanding help me pray through
Psalm 145 today:
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Today’s picture – a young man with a Ukrainian flag stands in front of the destroyed drama theater in the occupied Mariupol (photo provided by Mariupol City Council
Al Akimoff and the Slavic Ministries Team