Ukraine war reminds us what Isaiah said: ‘Nation shall not lift up sword against nation’
The world has reacted in outrage and vigorous worldwide protest for what Putin has unleashed on Ukraine. Clergy remind us of fundamental scriptural values that we should remember at this tumultuous time. Many have quoted from Isaiah 2:4, “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation and let them study war no more.” What person with any sense of humanity would not subscribe to these prophetic words? These words resonate when we are trying to prevent war, but when war breaks out. Then what?
Ukraine has crossed that rubicon of peace to fight for its life. How do we recite Isaiah’s hope for a better and peaceful future while we watch the good and brave citizens of Ukraine, minute by minute on cable news and social media outlets, engage, defy and resist the albatross of Russian military hardware?
I am thinking of another verse from the Bible that speaks to me at this hour. “The Lord will give strength unto His people; The Lord will bless his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11). In this fight I pray that God gives the Ukrainian armed forces and the nation as a whole the strength of mind, heart and body to stymie the madness which Putin has cut loose upon his so-called Ukrainian brothers. I pray that God give the nations of the world, especially the United States and NATO, the strength to support Ukraine militarily, and diplomatically, despite the economic burdens we may have to endure during this time. Not to do so will lead to even greater consequences in Europe that most probably will, like a pandemic virus, infect us in America.
At the time of writing this column, the Ukrainians and the Russians are meeting to carve out a peace deal. I am skeptical that it will lead anywhere but I will not give up on the hope that miracles could happen and that people do come to their senses when they face the ultimate realities and weigh the harsh political costs of taking human life on all sides.
I read a newspaper report that the mayor of Kiev said that Ukraine will prevail because “we have God on our side.” And the verse from the Psalmist concludes, “The Lord will bless his people with peace.” The Ukrainians are fighting for core values: Their faith in national identity, the well-being of family, the freedoms that they achieved since the fall of the FSU and the hope that they were building a society that would prosper and benefit the lives of future generations. This courageous people are willing to fight and die for that long term peace. Clearly their faith in God plays a role in giving them the strength to sacrifice their own lives for that future peace.
Now is the time for the faith community to contribute funds to support the Ukrainian efforts and its refugees overflowing the borders of neighboring countries. Our generous spirits will make a difference in supporting families who are totally without resources and basic necessities of life. Isn’t this God’s work? Let the houses of worship in our communities recite prayers and raise the resources to feed the refugees.
May God give us all the strength to expose and condemn the lies of Putin’s propaganda as Ukraine battles the Russian behemoth. Putin justifies his military incursion into Ukraine to de-Nazify the country. Yet the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish and his relatives were all killed in the Holocaust!
He has stood up before the world to appeal for peace and to strengthen his people. This former entertainer with no political experience has shown the world’s leaders what true grit is really all about. He reminds me more of the young David who faced down and defeated Goliath. I am proud of him as a Jew and as a citizen of this world. He gives us all hope as he does to the Ukrainian people. I will pray to God to keep him alive so that he can carry on the fight for the peace.
The history of Ukraine’s relations with the Jewish community has been mixed. Centuries of Anti-semitism, pogroms, and elements of Ukrainian collaboration with the Nazis in World War Two is part of the historic record. Yet, look where we are today. There is a thriving Jewish community in this Eastern Orthodox nation with the next largest religion being varieties of Catholicism. So it proves that change can turn the tide of peoples learning how to live peacefully together.
A woman in a Kiev subway train asked at the initial outbreak of hostilities: ‘Why is the world silent to Ukraine?” Her plea for attention resonated for me given the times 80 years ago when Jews sounded the same plea. The world was silent to the German genocide against the Jewish people. Have we learned from our mistakes of the past? Yes, the world today is not silent to Ukraine.
I hope God is listening and will hear the prayers of the Ukrainian volunteer soldiers, the mothers, grandparents and children whose fathers have stayed behind and are waging this battle. Please, God, give them the strength to endure this war, defeat Putin and eradicate the misery he has brought down upon Ukraine. Then let us pray that God grants Ukraine the peace and freedom they deserve. At that point we can return to Isaiah’s dream of “nation not lifting up sword against nation and studying war no more.’”
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 11:23 AM.