In this special season full of hope and joy, with a blessing of Christ, Friends of Ukraine worshipped in stillness for peace and justice in Ukraine and in the world, upholding in the Light all those who suffer from wars and other injustices. In the following business meeting the Quakers listened and welcomed a Report of the Care Committee on Community Service in 2025, decided to hold a joint meeting for worship and exchange of views in support of conscientious objectors.
Yurii Sheliazhenko:
A conscription center’s military registration order to a pacifist to report on Christmas Eve in revenge for an antiwar Quaker ministry is so insane thing, that I might never believe it is possible in Ukraine unless it happened to me. The level of absurdity is close to everyday bombings of Ukraine by a Kremlin dictator who insists on the fairy tale that Ukrainians and Russians are brotherly peoples or even the one people.
The mad dictators call “civilization” the technological tools of abuses against civil society, which are used by those in power to deceive, rob and kill people en masse. There is nothing civil in their militarization under the guise of civilization. Violence drags humanity into the dark ages. Only knowledge, labor and faith preserve the light of peaceful civilization.
I am praying for citizens of Odesa who are deprived of heating, water and electricity. I am praying also for thousands Quakers in Congo who were forced to left their homes and flee when their city of Uvira has been captured by hostile military forces.
Why even at the season of peace and good will some unkind people just cannot stop fighting their petty cruel wars?
Our Father in heaven, your son Jesus Christ taught us: blessed are the peacemakers. I will not allow militarists to spoil Your Christmas. I will worship, not fight wars. Please give me and Friends the courage to resist all wars and militarism. Give us faith in the covenant of life without war. Give us knowledge and strength to do your work, making peace without bloodshed and other harm. In your grace and guidance revealed in the inward light is our hope and conscience of the world.
Kristen Richardson:
Friends, not a day goes by that I don’t think of you all in Ukraine, in Kyiv, in Odesa and everywhere, holding you in the Light. But, particularly, today, the winter solstice when out of time the world sets its own calendar. And today is the shortest day of the year and tonight the longest night. But the good news here is that from now on going forward the light will grow longer. The days will get longer and the nights will get shorter and we will return to brighter days. I always take comfort from this that even in the darkest night we can look forward to the return of the light. And I certainly will be doing that over the next few weeks at this holiday period that marks both darkness and the joy of light in our lives. And may it bring peace and calm to everyone.
Margaret Tracy:
Conscious of the world of peace and love this Christmas season, for all who strive to create this in their backyard: love to all. Margaret from Manhattan.
John Reuwer:
I am with you in spirit this morning. Peace be to all as we learn to share God’s love with each other and the world.
We also received Friendly greetings from Vadym Korzh, Oleksandr Zhaivoronkov, Farooq Javed, and Yevhen Spirin in the chat.
The minutes of meeting for worship with attention to business: