On Friday the Squamish Multifaith Association organized a peace vigil for Ukraine at Squamish United Church. It was beautiful. Together, we lit candles and offered prayers and reflections from several different faith traditions.

For my offering, I chose an ancient Christian prayer of lament. A prayer older than the great split between the East and the West, almost a thousand years ago. A prayer that is present in the liturgy of the Eastern Churches, of which the majority of Ukrainians belong. 

The Greek name for this prayer is the Trisagion, and we have been singing it as our offertory hymn this Lenten season. 

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One

Have mercy upon us. 

It is a prayer that is appropriate, I believe, when we witness the horrors of war, and cry out to God, broken-hearted – have mercy, have mercy on all of us. Because this affects us all, breaks us all, wounds us all. 

May there be peace. 

God, have mercy. 

CG+