Despite Ukraine survived a hard night under Russian bombings, it was a sunny day in Kyiv and Quakers gathered for silent worship online.
We walk in the light and hold in the light all those who suffer from wars and other injustices. After the worship, we had the opportunity to get acquainted with American Quakers Kristen Richardson and John Reuwer and discussed with Farooq Javed the problem of poverty and oppression of Christians in Pakistan.
Ministry by Yurii Sheliazhenko:
Friends, I am full of hope because there are more honest discussions about horrors of war and about ending the war.
More world leaders publicly demand of Putin to stop the carnage.
Today Russian opposition organizes antiwar march in Berlin demanding that Putin must be brought to justice and the aggression must be stopped.
Last week members of Ukrainian parliament publicly criticized corruption and cruelty of military recruiters, and President Zelensky said that mobilization needs changes.
It is truth, because people indeed are suffering and we hold in the light everyone who suffer from war and other injustices.
Road to just peace is clearer in the light of truth.
We must always walk in the light.
Despite Russian aggression creates ocean of darkness, suffering and death around, we must walk in the light.
What powerbank could sustain the light?
It is our soul, full of Christ’s love, full of gifts from Creator, from our Father in heaven.
It is a gift of faith, when we listen to him and overcome evil with good; because it was said in the 2nd Book of Chronicles 20:17: you will not have to fight this battle; take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.
It is a gift of wisdom, which is better than weapons of war, according to Ecclesiastes 9:18.
And it is creativity; because, walking in the light, we must be creators of better life, not destroyers and killers.
The Creator of the world created everyone in his own image (Genesis 1:27), so everyone has a gift to be a creator of better life. And when you think, how to act, how to begin your creation, remember that in the beginning was the Word (John 1:1), and it was said: “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).
Ministry by Kristen Richardson:
Добрий день, Друзі [Good day, Friends]. I’m sorry I can’t speak more in Ukrainian. I bring greetings from Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, Philadelphia. Happy to be with you. Yesterday I attended memorial meeting for my friend’s husband, who passed. He spent his entire life working for peace and international understanding. And it was a most moving funeral I had ever attended, because everyone spoke about his work, and his engagement, and his whole attitude: he did everything with a desire to connect and to help others succeed, never looking for his own glory. It was truly inspiring. And although I had always tried to live this way too, I realized there is more I can do. I can always find inspiration to help us in our journey to walk in the light, to seek out Friends all over the world, to live in a way that brings about greater understanding and happiness.
Friend Lyudmyla in her ministry asked how Bohdan, whom we keep in the light, is doing. Friend Artem said that his mother went to visit his relatives in Western Ukraine; an electric stove was found for them, groceries were purchased.
After the worship, at the request of John Reuwer, we introduced ourselves. Than we had a conversation with Farooq Javed about the terrible living conditions of Christians, including children, in Pakistan.
John Reuwer is a physician and peace activist with vast experience of humanitarian operations in different parts of the world, a member of the Board of Directors of the World BEYOND War network (together with Yurii Sheliazhenko), he visited Ukraine several times to help organize nonviolent resistance to Russian aggression.
Yurii Sheliazhenko is a Quaker and peace activist based in Kyiv.
Lyudmyla Holchanska is a Quaker and a pensioner who does not participate in any projects.
Artem Denysov is a quality assurance engineer in leading position in his company based in United States. He appreciates support of Ukraine by his company, allocation of funds for human development and humanitarian activities. Also, he is a blood donor with a long experience of transfusion, and caring citizen trying not to leave anyone behind. His father was among those who dealt with the consequences of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Kristen Richardson lives in Philadelphia, a city in United States in the state of Pennsylvania found by a famous quaker William Penn. She loves baseball, learns Ukrainian and can say in Ukrainian “Я люблю бейсбол” [I love baseball]. Her favorite team is Philadelphia Phillies. She works for many years in international relief and development, she has a privilege of working on four continents and learned so much alongside meeting and working with people from all around the world. It is her passion. She shared that there is a very strong support for Ukraine in Philadelphia, flags and signs everywhere, on 24 August the city has put Ukrainian flag on the city hall to celebrate Ukrainian Day of Independence. There is a large Ukrainian community, including immigrants and refugees, and she is looking forward to visiting Ukrainian community center and eating yummy varenyky. She attended performance of National Ballet of Ukraine and found very moving and wonderful the Hopak dance.
Kristen is going to visit Kyiv in January 2025. The meeting was happy to learn that and look forward to worship together.
Vadym Korzh is a Quaker, he finds joy in prayer, supports nonviolent actions, he was once a volunteer in the AIESEC, now works as a lawyer and corporate secretary in a football team.
Oleksandr Ivanov was forced to move to Kyiv from Donetsk after the beginning of Russian aggression in 2014. He is committed to pacifist philosophy, he condemns all wars and seeks the world peace.
Farooq Javed, an Evangelical Christian, lives in the city of Faisalabad in Pakistan with his mother, father, sister, wife and two children. He also feeds homeless children on the street. According to him, the Christian minority in predominantly Islamic Pakistan is in an oppressed position, the authorities do not solve the problems of poverty, child labor and debt bondage under predatory lenders.
The meeting feels the need to discuss in a care committee how to help Farooq and the Christians in Pakistan.
We will meet for silent worship next Sunday at 14:30 Kyiv time.