Learning Spiritual Lessons from Ukraine
by Chris Duvall, RScP
“When we think about resilience, we think about hardiness, toughness, strength, ability to weather the fiercest testing and in that strength, not to be overcome with our victimization and our wounds. When the wounds are so devastating, it is difficult to rise above them. Yet, in Ukraine, we see that strength rising above the terror, trauma, and wounding being inflicted on people. Oh, hail to the light in Ukraine.” ~ James O’Dea
James goes on to define resilience in the context of human values. He says that resilience involves tenderness, compassion, generosity, allowing tears to flow. It celebrates vulnerable courage. It requires truth, because lies are unsustainable. It is love made manifest. He reviews many sacred images we have seen in the news of Ukrainians demonstrating this value-based resilience in the face of the worst that humans can do to one another. He asks us to tap into that love.
· https://pod.servicespace.org/118/doc?did=481 The quotes above and in my prayer below are from this source, which is a four-minute read or a twenty-minute video.
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I call upon Sacred Light, Truth, and Love made manifest. I surrender that which obstructs Its flow through me and through the oneness all is. I surrender attachment to conflict. I surrender the causes of war.
I open to and embrace the powerful tears that want to “wash the emotional field” of Ukraine and the human condition. I “step into the courage” that offers soup and a phone call home to those I perceive have wronged me. I “stand up for the truth that challenges false narratives of power and oppression.” I “tap into the palpable love that releases something extraordinary in this moment.” I sift every conflict I experience through these values in order to learn the spiritual lessons of Ukraine and strengthen the vessel of light and love I intend to be.
I call forth compassionate grace to see and be the Divine in all humanity. I ask Divine Light to push back and contain dark Wetiko energy, to take back power and reign in Love and Peace.
I am grateful for God’s action upon on this prayer, and I release it into the inevitability of Spiritual Law. And, so it is.