Ukrainians in Diaspora #2
A God Sighting
Submitted by Jim Wood
First Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, VA
Little boy, adults’ eyes closed in prayer, weaves his four-year-old body through a hushed crowd toward the food table. The prize, a bowl of cherries, he hopes to pilfer before being found out. He wears a yellow shirt with blue lettering, “Life is Good.” And so it is – four-year-old little hands desiring nothing more than to be filled with snuck cherries, a room of laughter and prayer and safety – indeed, life is good.
It’s one of the things so loved about the church, that place where belonging is secure. And so it is this day, 50 Ukrainians, women and children, from 91 years to 9 months, welcome us into open arms. Smiles needing no translation, “You belong here.”
Stories of bombings. Days-long fearful journeys to escape. Husbands, fathers, sons left behind to serve and fight and die if necessary. Heading to a border with no plan of what is on the other side. Posting on Instagram, “Is there a church out there who can help us?” Angels all along the way. Prayers throughout. And, yes, a church another country over saying simply, “Come.”
All so that three months later, they might now welcome the strangers from America, with a smile that assures, “You belong here, too.”
And so, we sneak a look as we pray, seeing if a little boy will reach the table and it’s prized red bowl reward before we say, “Amen,” because life is good.
