We ask that God be merciful to us when we fall short, as I was reminded during Ash Wednesday’s service. That caused me to reflect that it is also appropriate to ask for God’s mercy when one courageously joins the good fight. It is fair to pray that God be merciful and not allow the harm inflicted on a person or a nation to be too grievous when they are brave enough to stand up to evil.
We are witnessing ongoing mass murder in Ukraine. It is end-of-the-world violence in the depravity of its intent. The USA needs to do the right thing and defend Ukraine militarily, for example, by enforcing a no-fly zone, even though that risks a wider conflict.
Better to ask God’s mercy on us for courage to join the good fight than seeking it later, after it is too late, and we have ceded the world to authoritarians out of fear of the consequences of standing up to them.
Stuart Tisdale
Portland
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