Chapter 9
It washed ashore like sea foam, an old anecdote, they say. But nothing is amusing about it. It is bitter because, at times, it feels uncomfortably close to the truth.
A Ukrainian survives the war. He grows old, dies, and enters paradise. There he meets a friend. They remember the horrors they lived through, and at one point they laugh. God notices and asks, “What are you two laughing about?”
The man replies, “Ah… You wouldn’t understand. You weren’t there.”
God, I want to stand up in Your defense.
You know me. You were there, and You are here, in my pain, my injustice, my betrayal, and my loneliness. The cry, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” was Yours before it was ever mine.
And yet, how often I have accused You: “You weren’t there.”
Forgive me.
You were there when everything fell apart. You are here in my ruins, my grief, and my humiliation. Sometimes Your presence is almost tangible. And when I cannot feel You, let my faith hold on to the truth that You never left.
Inspired by Andriy M. Donetsk Christian University
Andriy currently continues to go to the frontline towns and villages, evacuating people and pets, delivering food and water, sometimes supported through the network “People of the Bridge.” Thank you for your prayers 🙏
Published by Taras M. Dyatlik
Philemon