As war wages on and the brave defenders of freedom in Ukraine continue to battle the invaders, it is a time to think about some of the long term issues regarding Russia and the West. The environmentalist Bill McKibben wrote in The Guardian that European dependence on Russian gas compromises our ability to respond to Putin’s terror.
Some European countries utilize solar and especially wind power as a source of energy and perhaps it’s time to consider how the West should base its energy needs on such power. Not only are these solutions the best environmentally but they can free us from reliance on what he calls “petrostate autocrats.”
More than half of Americans say they are willing to pay more at the pump in support of Ukraine’s fight for freedom. When faced with World War 2, America changed its direction and had the largest plants for producing tanks in less than six months. Higher gas prices tell us we must change our direction just as we did 80 years ago.
Prayer for the Day
Praying for peace in a time of war, we come to you, O God,
For we know that we must do more than pray;
Holding fast to our faith in the ultimate triumph of freedom,
We struggle for the right way to accomplish it.
Grant, O Lord, your wisdom in these perilous times
So that we do not abandon your goals for our lives.
In the name of the One who is a voice for justice,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We should be in agony today – people are dying because they want to live in a democracy, want to determine their own affairs. But that agony should, and can, produce real change.
- Bill McKibben, from “This is how we defeat Putin”
Our response to the crisis should be inclusive and equal rights oriented.
- Dafina Gercheva, Ukrainian representative for UNDP
Give ear to my words, O Lord, give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
Psalm 5: 1-6