In the early morning hours of Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine, putting in danger Ukraine’s more than 44 million residents and our global sense of balance. In the days since, the fighting has been relentless. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been displaced, while others are watching the fighting surround them in their homes.
Right now, much of our attention is focused on the strife unfolding in Ukraine, but as much as we’d like to help, it’s hard to affect much change half a world away. We can donate to a variety of charities doing good work there, but I feel pulled to do more.
Carrie Newcomer’s new book, Until Now: New Poems, includes the poem “Send Love. It Matters.” It offers me comfort and helps me feel less like a victim of circumstance and more of a participant in God’s plan to heal the world.
Send Love. It Matters.
Somewhere someone needs help.
Send love.
It matters.If you can’t get there yourself,
Then take a deep breath,
Breathe in the weight of their troubles.
Breathe out and send all those burdens
Into the Light
Where sorrows can be held
With the most tender and infinite grace.Breathe in what you can do.
Breathe out what you can’t change.
Spool out a thread of connection,
Send courage and calm.
For the nights can be long
And filled with shadows,
And sometimes terrible
Unexpected waters will rise.Somewhere someone needs help.
Send love.
It matters.—Carrie Newcomer
“Breathe in what you can do. Breathe out what you cannot change.” Breathe in what I can do. Breathe out what I cannot change. Breathe in. Breathe out. We are invited to send a simple breath prayer of love to the someone somewhere who needs help.
Please join me in spooling that thread of connection to the people in Ukraine and sending love. It matters.
—Andi Lewis, Prairiewoods marketing coordinator