Worshipping for just peace in Ukraine and in the world, Friends embraced the topic of coming World Quaker Day, explored our love to mother tongue and how we could love neighbours who sometimes disappoint us and test our faith with such horrible things as Russian invasion of Ukraine. We prayed for open hearts and living in Friendship as one family with all Quakers in the world, including everyone who identify themselves as Quakers in Ukraine, such as groups “Quakers of Kyiv” and “Meeting of Friends in Service to Society of Kherson City”, as well as all unaffiliated Friends. Reflections on the book “Quaker” by Ilya Karamalikov were shared, and it was said that despite current controversy of whether he is a traitor or a hero we need to care spiritually about that of God in every soul and pray that the truth will be revealed and overcome lies.
Attenders:
Margaret Tracy, Liudmyla Holchanska, Yurii Sheliazhenko, Serhii Vedmediev, Ivan Kokhan, Oleksandr “Dude”, Barbara Harrison, “Avolo”, Artem Denysov, Farooq Javed, Vadym Korzh.
Introduction:
We will worship for half an hour in silence, with a soul open to light, to divine guidance and ministries led by the spirit. To share your prayer, simply turn on the microphone, say the holy truth and turn off the microphone. The record of the meeting will be preserved and published as a contribution to the eternal ocean of light.
Yurii Sheliazhenko:
Friends, I refuse to surrender to the exhaustion of this sleepless night and the terrible explosions of Russian drones that destroy and terrorize Ukrainian cities.
Next First Day of Week, the October 5th, we will celebrate the World Quaker Day. The theme of this day, chosen by the Friends World Committee for Consultation, is: “Love your neighbor”. Friends are invited to be “doers of the word” (James 1:22) of love that overcomes all injustice, conflicts and ecological crisis, to support neighbors and be hospitable, to build connections with other faith communities and international connections, to share a message of love.
This is a call to great and difficult spiritual work. How can you love neighbors on the same planet who encroach on your home and risk a nuclear disaster because of their greed? One can only hope that the work of love for the truth and peaceful overcoming of lies will fundamentally change such neighbors over time.
How can we not give up to the temptation of easy communication in the language of the aggressor and occupier, which for a long time ruled in our homes and dictated the policy of hate and enmity, because we did not love our native Ukrainian language enough? How not to deprive of love every language in which the Friends communicate, but also to make sure that the truth is said loudly in our mother tongue, as truth must be told in every language of the world, according to the advice of George Fox? By the way, I love that the international poster for the World Quaker Day also says in Ukrainian: love your neighbor.
The closest to us in Ukraine are those brothers and sisters who identify themselves as Quakers. Let’s remember that we are all one big worldwide family. We may be different, but we should be together in Friendship. We continue to worship together with the “Quakers of Kyiv” group on occasions when we are allowed, despite the cold relationship, God knows why.
And I also feel the need to share the news that several days ago I had an interesting contact with the only Quaker community registered as legal person in Ukraine. It is situated in Kherson and it is called Religious Organization “Religious Community Meeting of Friends in Service to Society of Kherson City”. Its founder, Ilya Karamalikov, is currently in pre-trial detention in Kryvyi Rih. He is accused of treason. Journalists write that the reason for this was his refusal to kill a captured Russian soldier, and they talk also about Karamalikov’s participation in organizing peaceful popular protests against the Russian occupation of Kherson, creating people’s patrols to maintain order, hiding persecuted Ukrainians from the Russian army and providing people with food to avoid starvation. That is, we have two extremes: businessman and municipal politician Ilya Karamalikov is a traitor according to the official version of the Security Service of Ukraine, but according to some media materials he is a hero of non-violent resistance and unarmed protection of civilians.
His son Artem Karamalikov distributes his father’s autobiographical book “Quaker”, in which I read about the special Judeo-Christian understanding of Quakerism, about his very personal motives for declaring himself a Quaker: inspiration by the Quaker testimony of truth and honesty in business and simple straightforwardness of understanding the Bible, seeing the spark of God in every person, the desire to build interconfessional bridges between communities of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, an abhorrence of violence, a desperate desire to stop wars so that people don’t kill each other.
I am praying that there will be a fair trial and that the truth will be established, and in the meantime I have sent to the friend Ilya to prison our religious literature, our Advices and Queries. Whatever happens to people, regardless of whether they are sinful or righteous, we should respond with love to “that of God in everyone” and care for each human soul.
All people are neighbors on this common planet, so let’s live as if everyone around us is a friend, may there never anyone be stranger for us.
Announcement:
Friends, let’s hold in the Light and wish a good health to our friend Artem Denysov and his four-legged friend who is recovering.
A quick reminder that there are 5 minutes left before the end of the worship. All ministries, spoken and unspoken, are welcomed.
Conclusion:
Friends, our meeting for worship has come to the end. Let’s prepare to celebrate the World Quaker Day with prayers for a just peace in Ukraine and around the world, so that no one suffers from war and no one is forced to kill at war against the promptings of thy conscience. With love and joy, I will wait for the opportunity to meet again at the next meeting for worship.