Slowly, they crawl out of the bomb shelter

Walk around the church to the back.

They look around at their city in ruins, 

Blood in the street and bodies in stacks.

Behind the church, the earth is disturbed.

Fresh dirt covers bodies thrown in a heap.

Quickly, they find shovels and begin to dig

Praying for pieces of loved ones to keep.

This time-honored horror we know as war

Is the way grown men settle disputes. 

The old men send the young ones to die

In the wars that hate has induced.

 And the rest of us sit by and silently weep,

Mourning the loss of those we watch die.

Helpless to know what we should do.

So, we bear silent witness and cry.

I wonder if wars would be different.

If the old men had to carry the guns?

I wonder how battles might change

With the power in the hands of their sons?

Would the young then exploit the old

Despite knowing they are afraid?

Or would the new perspective bring forbearance

To every discussion in which war is weighed?

These questions do not hold much hope

Knowing mankind is irreparably flawed.

But then, life is full of hopes impossible,

Impossible, that is, but for God.

And so we need to keep praying

Even when the odds are not on our side.

For what were the odds of resurrection

 When Christ hung on the cross and died?

Linda Troxell © 04/11/2022

We all love a David and Goliath story. As mere humans, we spend so much time feeling powerless that watching the little guy win can feel like a win of our own. And Americans are at their best when they can help the little guy amid a disaster. We want to help our fellow man when they are helpless, knowing that if our positions were reversed, we would want strangers to care enough to come to our aid. 

Americans are known for how we quickly band together in emergency or disaster situations. We are at our best when circumstances are at their worst. Just think of any American disaster, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, or the San Francisco earthquake; we came together at lightning speed to take care of those in need. Americans are often oblivious to one another’s needs daily, but when there is an emergency, we are supportive like none other. 

But we Americans also have a pretty short attention span. We want to help as much as possible, but if the problem lasts too long, we become weary of it. We are more like sprinters than distance runners; really impressive in the beginning but lacking so much in the long run. If we need an example of this, let’s consider our response to the horror of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The invasion was launched on February 24, 2022; the cruelty, the unfairness, and the misery inflicted on the Ukrainians united Americans in a way I thought nothing ever could again. Children were selling lemonade on street corners to raise money to send to the Ukrainian people. Replicas of the tee shirt Zelensky wore as he personally met with his people in the freezing cold began to show up for sale on the internet. Congress even passed the first bipartisan bill since– well, I can’t remember the last bipartisan bill Congress passed–to supply the Ukrainian people with arms.

We were mesmerized by what we saw on our screens and didn’t want to miss anything. This coverage was everywhere. So, even if we wanted to, we couldn’t turn away. When we turned on our television, it was there. If we went on a social media site, it was there. It reminded me of what David said of God in Psalm 139: no matter where we went, something about Ukraine or about Russia, something about Zelensky or about Putin, something about this fantastic story was there. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Psalm 139:7-8

America, indeed Americans, were locked in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, and we backed the Ukrainian government. It didn’t hurt that before Trump, Americans had been united in their hate of Vladimir Putin. Still, the war between Russia and Ukraine had everything Americans wanted in their dramatic stories. It was an emergency and a grand disaster. Our charity was needed. It was a little guy wins story, we love those. There was a hero in President Zelensky and a villain in Mr. Putin. 

It first drew us in as a disaster of the largest magnitude. Millions of people were suddenly in danger, homeless, and hungry. They needed our help! This was the very thing at which Americans excel. Then, almost immediately, we discovered it was a David and Goliath story in the way the Ukrainian people held their ground against Russia.  Everyone, but especially Americans, was cheering for Ukraine. In the word’s true meaning, watching something that seemed impossible happen before our eyes was awesome.  

The thought that the Ukrainian army could cause the Russian army any damage, let alone keep them from taking their land, was— well, it just had not been thought of because it was impossible. Impossible, that is—but for God. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” -Matthew 19:26

On February 24, when Putin launched this attack on Ukraine, it seemed like everyone free to get accurate information was in agreement in their anger. We were faithful in condemning the actions of Putin and united in celebrating Ukrainian “wins.” Or, more accurately, the one big win of not being overrun as expected. We donated, volunteered, and prayed, the trifecta of regular people who want to help.

There were ups and downs throughout March. It seemed like there was no net win or a net loss on either side. But in our eyes, that was a big win for Ukrainians, who were living on borrowed time. Then, on April 1, there was a big spike in our anger when we began to see pictures of the war crimes and atrocities perpetrated by the Russians. 

They were all disturbing, but for me, the most disturbing were the stacks of bodies of those who had been executed with their hands tied behind their back. Americans were outraged. We stayed engaged, but we felt helpless; we cried, we donated, we volunteered, and we prayed some more. Two weeks later, now at the seven-week mark, still smarting from the atrocities, we heard that the Ukrainians sank the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva. 

That brought a big boost of hope. It was a big celebration with a bigger burst of optimism. But in reality, it didn’t change much, and about a month later, the Russians gained control of Mariupol, an important city in the region. It was a blow to Ukraine, and I hate to say it was also a blow to the American attention span. 

In February, when Russia launched the attack on Ukraine almost everyone was angry and upset with Russia. As the war moved on and we were given a blow-by-blow play of how it was rolling out, we became enthralled in the U.S. 

I suppose there were varied reasons for this story grabbing the imaginations of millions of observers. I mentioned the drama and empathy for a David and Goliath story. For me, a large draw was the pleasure of seeing the people of our country come together for something, anything. The solidarity and the interest were strong in the beginning.

The invasion was launched on February 24, 2022 and everyone was appalled. The solidarity of disgust and anger was strong and vocal through the first five weeks. Then, on April 1, the war crimes of deliberately targeting civilian buildings as well as civilians themselves came to light. That strengthened our resolve. Two weeks later, the Ukrainians sunk Russia’s flagship in that area, a huge win. And we came closer together.

And then slowly, we drifted away. I suppose we became complacent, believing our government was committed. And our lives are busy and stressful. Of course, not as stressful as the lives of the Ukrainians, but still.

Now, three years later, hell has frozen over. America has officially given into Russia. I’d like to think it isn’t that simple. I’d like to think that there are extenuating circumstances we are not privy to for national security reasons. 

But I cannot hide from the heartbreaking truth. We, the people, elected a criminal, morally depraved, often sadistic toddler man to be our president. He has dreams of being like Vladimir Putin. He requires absolute power to shore up his fragile ego and prove that he is not a loser despite the long list of losses. 

As I watch him violate our Constitution daily, and as I remember the shameful behavior of our corrupt Supreme Court, I grow more angry, yes, but also more frightened. As the president and his tech-pet, Elon, exploit every weakness in our democracy, we learn just how much of our system is based on norms and agreements.

Despite the many imperfections of our political leaders, prior to Donald Trump, no one dared to simply disregard 250 years of traditions, institutions, and norms. I’ve wrestled with that notion, wondering why no one did it. Why did our democracy have no real challenges until Donald Trump? I think I finally understand.

As brilliant as our founding fathers were in their efforts to create a system that operates on the rule of law and assures that no one is above that law, they could not have imagined this moment. Why? I think it’s because they, and all of the politicians before Trump, overestimated the moral fiber of the electorate. They could not imagine we, the people, electing as our president an immoral criminal. And so, they did not plan for it.

You see, what kept past politicians from lawless behavior like Trump’s was not their upstanding moral character but their belief in the character of the people. They believed such behavior would disqualify them in the eyes of the voters. In that sense, they possess a capacity for shame, which Trump does not share. Even Nixon, certainly no paragon of righteousness,, believed that resignation was his only escape from political and social annihilation… well, and prison.

Now, I don’t know whether Trump’s behavior did not disqualify him because Americans have changed so drastically or if, allThey cannot have the job iflong, anyone who had dimp could have been accepted by enough Americans to be elected president twice. Frankly, I’m with the founding fathers, I still cannot imagine the American people being so…what…Gullible?, Immoral? Naive? Or just as depraved as Trump.

What I do know is that the window to save our country is small and will be short-lived. I also know that our “leaders” will not save us. The Republicans are spineless! Death threats notwithstanding, do your job or resign; you swore to defend the Constitution! And the Democrats, whatever their failings, have little power given their minority in all three branches of government.

The bottom line here is what the bottom line has always been. This is the country of we, the people. In other words, this is our country, and we, the people, are ultimately responsible for it. We elect our leaders to REPRESENT US! When they are not, WE are responsible to say so and remove them. If we don’t vote for them, they cannot have the job. That fact, however, is becoming more and more precarious every day.

So, while it is still a fact, we must MOVE in unison. Remember during the presidential campaign, we heard, over and over, that we must vote in numbers too big to deny? Well, we didn’t. If those who stayed home, for whatever reason, are responsible for Trumo’s win. But now you have a chance to redeem yourself. So, get up NOW and make your voice heard.

We don’t have to wait for the midterms. Because the elected officials know WE are their only ticket to reelection. So, if they hear often enough and loud enough that we will not be electing anyone who does not pull up his or her big girl/boy panties and defend our democracy, they WILL either resign or change their behavior.