Laurence Freeman, a Benedictine monk and Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation, made the following statement of solidarity with the people of Ukraine on February 24th, and called on meditators worldwide to join him for an online meditation event on March 26th as an expression of their love and support, and for ‘decency and justice in the world order’.
Like many of you I awoke this morning with a sickening feeling in my stomach when I read about the invasion of Ukraine.
It’s a really dark time for the world and we have to approach it with as much faith and hope and love as possible.
The way forward is going to be difficult and unclear, but day by day, moment by moment, if we keep returning to our heart, that feeling of nausea that accompanies irrationality – cruelty, dishonesty and destruction of good relations and of decent negotiation and decent conversation ... can be transformed.
I would like to invite everyone to participate in an event on March 26th, with the meditators in Ukraine, to show our solidarity, our love, our support for them, and for decency and justice in the world order.
We all need I think to ask ourselves a very profound question and a difficult question to answer. What is the link between meditation and this kind of world event?
If we say there is no link, we’re living in as much of an imaginary world as the people who invaded a sovereign country with lies and deceit.
And If we say there is a link, then that faith in the power of consciousness, the power of silence, and the power of love that is released in the work of meditation, will deepen our resolve and our commitment to the practice, and to the community that it creates.
So on behalf of all our community worldwide, I want to let all of our friends in the Ukraine know of our solidarity, and support, and concern, and say we look forward to meeting with them on line on March 26th, and I would hope that every part of our community will be represented on that occasion.
So let us hold the whole situation in our hearts with consciousness, and with love and hope.
See: https://wccm.org/news/a-message-from-wccm-in-solidarity-with-the-ukrainian-community/
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have also released the following prayer:
A Prayer for Ukraine
God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,
that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.
We pray for those with power over war or peace,
for wisdom, discernment and compassion
to guide their decisions.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby
Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell