Quakers, Friends of Christ (John 15:14), prayed for peace in Ukraine and around the world, also upholding in the light all victims of wars and other injustices, including repression for refusing to kill. Kristen Richardson inspired the meeting with a call to overcome darkness and to witness the faith in deeds, to speak out with courage against injustices, like American Quakers filed a lawsuit against the governmental invasion of holy places and the persecution of migrant believers, and also she told about the Ukrainian necklace with a dove pendant symbolizing peace and the Holy Spirit, which reminds her every day of the Friends (Quakers) in Ukraine. On the occasion of his birthday, Yurii Sheliazhenko played to the meeting an Ukrainian translation of the famous spiritual hymn “Amazing Grace” by John Newton.
Introduction:
Greetings, Friends, at the meeting for worship.
Let’s wish success and blessing to Friends who informed that they can’t join us today: Oleksandr Ivanov has urgent business, and Andrii Vyshnevetskyi found a job and he works now.
Next half an hour we will seek for peace and inward light, waiting for the move of spirit in the stillness of silence.
You could turn on your microphone and say your ministry, if you feel led by the spirit, but let the silence fill the pauses between ministries.
Our meeting for worship will be recorded and published because the Gospel says that the light must shine in darkness (John 1:5).
Yurii Sheliazhenko:
Friends, I feel saddened that despite many good talks about the just peace, the Russian army continues to kill Ukrainians. Eight people murdered in Poltava as a result of a missile strike on a residential building, among the victims an entire family: a father, mother and daughter.
Also I feel sadness and anger because of reports of practices of mistreatment of people in the Kyiv pre-trial detention center and in military units, including territorial recruitment centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We should not have such sorts of things in a democratic state governed by the rule of law.
I want to share the news that the preliminary hearing in the criminal prosecution against me for the pacifist statement “Peace Agenda for Ukraine and the World” has been postponed again at the request of the prosecutor to 20th March.
Another important news that makes me proud of being a Quaker. You know that Trump escalates oppression of migrants in the United States and has allowed immigration agents to hunt people even in holy places where people meet for worship. This abomination is being committed by a man who made money selling Bibles, but if Trump had read what he was selling, he would have known the ancient truths of the Old Testament: the stranger who lives with you shall be to you as your own countryman; love him as yourself (Leviticus 19:34). The Religious Society of Friends Meetings from various States have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, they are demanding that the court stop the invasion of their sacred space and the persecution of migrants. I will pray for the success of this lawsuit.
I ask you to hold in the light the judiciary in Ukraine and everywhere in the world, because the rule of law is a light in a democratic society that drives away the darkness of lawlessness.
Friends, today is my birthday, and on this occasion I have prepared a musical gift for you: I have translated the spiritual hymn “Amazing Grace” from English into Ukrainian. In my translation, I have tried to go beyond any particular religious identity and convey the original feeling of a higher, divine presence that gives peace and faith to all people, to believers of all religions and even to non-believers. You can sing “God” or “Spirit” instead of “Dar” (“Gift”), which I feel is the most suitable word in Ukrainian for grace and mercy of God, source of light to all of us (Psalm 36:9). The word “friend” is used in a general sense and does not necessarily mean “Quaker”, that is, “Friend of Christ” (John 15:14). In Ukrainian, my translation is sung by artificial intelligence. In English, it’s performed by the group “Rocks From The Garden”, a song in the public domain.
ЧАРІВНИЙ ДАР
Чарівний дар! Солодкий звук
У скруті спас мене.
Знайшов серед пропащих, друг,
Засліплим зір верне.
Від дару серденько тремтить,
Цей дар знімає страх.
Безцінний дар прийшов умить
Як перший віри спалах.
Позаду вже чимало прірв
Пасток і небезпек.
Цей дар мене за обрій вів
Й додому приведе.
Дар обіцяв мені добро,
Надію дав і спокій.
Дар – частка мене і покров,
Життя триває поки.
Радію мирному життю,
Як є і як настане;
Як йду до світла; як піду
У спогади неждано…
Дивись, ми тут вже сто століть.
Це сонячна удача.
Співай щодня, як в першу мить,
За славний дар у вдячність.
AMAZING GRACE
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.
Cecilia Clementel:
Amazing grace is one of my favourites.
Darkness shall not prevail.
Kristen Richardson:
Beautiful!
Friends, at this time, when so much of our world seems to be battling darkness, is that time more now than ever before for Friends and all peer people of faith to stand up for what they believe in, to use the weapons of the spirit that we’ve been given over the years, the technologies of faith to stand up for what we believe in and to hold power accountable. Speaking truth to power needs to have teeth, and whether it’s through demonstrations or the lawsuits filed by any Quaker organizations here in the United States against illegal power grab, for movements in Georgia, Ukraine, and elsewhere. We can’t just sit by and criticize what’s happening, we need to step up and in acts of faith put ourselves, our reputation and even our bodies on the line, if necessary, taking unpopular stands, here in the United States where Elon Musk now has access to all of the tax records, so, you know, anything could happen to anybody who speaks up. But we cannot stand aside from our obligation to live our testimonies and not just talk about. So we all have to stand together and support each other although we’ll find, each of us will find different ways of living our testimonies, standing up for truth wherever we may be.
I brought from Ukraine to home with me a necklace with a peace dove pendant, to wear around my neck, to remind me of Ukraine every day and all the Friends I met there.
Farooq and Mary Javed:
Amen. Beautiful.
Happy birthday and best wishes from our family. Our prayers are with you, brother Yurii. God bless you.
Artem Denysov:
Awesome, thanks.
Vadym Korzh:
It was beautiful.
Serhii Vedmediv:
Thank you. Happy birthday!