Teresa Manion-Wood joins a Polish-Ukrainian Zoom Meditation group on Monday 6am NZ time as often as she is able. She says, “It is early evening on Sunday over in Ukraine. I feel it is the least I can do, to set my alarm and wake up early once a week to spiritually support these courageous people in the midst of this horrendous war”. She recently wrote this reflection for a group newsletter and shares the piece with Touchstone.

Their first reading from John 14:27 is translated with raw pathos into English with a Ukrainian accent:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

Not as the world gives, I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled;

Do not be afraid.”

This morning I sit at my kitchen table writing this epistle hoping to share with you my personal thoughts and experience. Outside on the horizon glimpses of the rising winter morning sun burn as shafts of pure gold through the heavy layers of steel grey clouds. This dramatic vision lifts my heart as if God is showing me that the human spirit will always prevail in the darkest of trials as we are one with our Divine Creator. Light will always reign over darkness.

The tenacity of the human spirit throughout the ages shone through a story told by a young Ukrainian woman. “I must tell you about a lady I met at the Kyiv train station yesterday,” she said.

The lady was 67 years-old and needed directions to her village train platform. She was fleeing for safety as a refugee across the Ukraine border during the heavy strikes of March and April.

She was very excited: “I'm going home!” she said. “I've come from France! I will be able to plant my raspberries, I love raspberries!”

Apparently this refugee's grandmother had lived during the Russian occupation of Stalin's era and

been captured and imprisoned for many years. She said, “Then Stalin died so my grandmother was free!” This life experience had prepared her to face Ukraine’s challenges ahead and know that the human spirit could not be stamped out.”

Often for several hours after our meditation time I feel quite flat, almost stunned and helpless to assist these courageous people living “life” in a brutal war. These are some of the answers given by our fellow Ukrainian meditators to queries from other international attendees who voice the same sentiment.

“You are helping us by sharing this space with us.”

“You help us to stay calm and not be afraid.”

“The alarm has sounded. I should turn the lights and the gas off and

go down to the basement but I want to stay here with you.”

“You help us to know the world cares about us.”

And so this morning as I watch the burning gold break through the dark grey clouds, my spirit soars with God's promise that His Light will prevail. This signifies to me the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people in the face of the heaviness of the stark grey cloud, the brutal Russian carnage of the Ukrainian people and the devastation of their country.

And now as I look out again to the horizon the sun has risen above the cloud layer, a golden globe shining unimpeded in full splendour.

After a time of questions, discussion and supportive messages via chat messages we finish with the incredibly poignant prayer of Thomas Merton from Thoughts in Solitude. Read with such feelings of anguish in this tragic situation in Ukrainian, Polish and English translations:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me. Nor do I

really know myself.

And the fact that I think I am following your will

Does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you

Does in fact please you.

And I hope that I will never do anything

apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this,

You will lead me by the right road

Though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always

Though I may seem to be lost and in the

Shadow of death

I will not fear for you are ever with me.

And you will never leave me to face my

struggles alone. Amen...