{"id":6214,"date":"2022-03-02T10:28:38","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T16:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/?p=6214"},"modified":"2022-03-02T11:46:16","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T17:46:16","slug":"again-asking-and-finding-steadfast-love-in-the-gloom-of-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/again-asking-and-finding-steadfast-love-in-the-gloom-of-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Again Asking and Finding Steadfast Love in the Gloom of War"},"content":{"rendered":"

By the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, ELCA Senior Director for Witness in Society<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy should it be said among the peoples, \u2018Where is their God?\u2019\u201d (Joel 2:17)<\/p>\n

The prophet Joel doesn\u2019t hold back when sounding the alarm about the coming Day of the Lord in today\u2019s Ash Wednesday reading. It will be \u201ca day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.\u201d Joel goes on to remind the faithful that despite the terror they see, God\u2019s true nature is \u201cgracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.\u201d He calls on the priests to assemble the people, to repent, and to testify to all who may ask, \u201cWhere is their God?\u201d that God is still with them.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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BIBLICAL CRY IN PRESENT CRISIS<\/h5>\n

This year Joel\u2019s alert sounds above the horror of the Putin regime\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, a great and powerful army conducting an unprovoked attack against a neighboring state. The valiant resistance of Ukrainian leaders, the courage of civilians fighting back and resilience of so many inhabitants are inspiring. But they do not ease my deep dismay as Russian air strikes and ground fighting continue, and civilian casualties mount. Over three quarters of a million people (as of this writing), primarily women and children, have streamed across borders seeking safety. Many, many more are still to come in a growing humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\n

Just like the grinding conflict and famine in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia or endless suffering in Syria and Yemen, the invasion of Ukraine and first days of war there can lead us to question: \u201cWhere is our God?\u201d I ask it again when I hear about the plight of the Roma, a marginalized and undocumented people in Europe, facing bigotry as they try to flee. I ask again when reports of discrimination against non-Europeans trying to reach safety surface. I ask it again as I see Russian citizens bravely protesting the actions of their government for which they may expect harsh punishments. I ask it again as the questions about the potential for use of nuclear weapons in this war takes me back to childhood Cold War fears of annihilation.<\/p>\n

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WHERE HELPERS ARE<\/h5>\n

Fred Rogers, host of the long-running show \u201cMister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood,\u201d told the famous story of how his mother told him that in a tragedy he should \u201clook for the helpers\u201d to keep despair at bay. Today, the solidarity of so many around the world with Ukraine who step up to help reflects a glimmer of God\u2019s steadfast love even in the gloom of war.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In our Lutheran family, I can glimpse God\u2019s action and can testify that in the gloom and horror of war, God is here.<\/p>\n