The Church is a body, working *together*. Today I was privileged to meet yet another mother and daughter from Ukraine. A few weeks ago, LCMS had informed me that they were headed towards Hamburg. Where to find housing? I contacted a local Lutheran (SELK) pastor who emailed his congregation for help. Many replied. At first, mom and daughter spent a week in the apartment of a young German Navy officer and church member several hours away from here, and today they arrived in Hamburg. The officer and I were waiting at the station to pick them up. The four of us took the light rail to the apartment of Iranian church members who had opened up their home. Sitting next to the mom on the commuter train, I said, “So, I understand you are Lutheran…?” “Lutheran?” she replied with a sparkle in her eye. “I am the most Lutheran of all Lutherans in Ukraine. Lutheranism is the most faithful expression of Christianity there is. Why would I want to be anything else? Our daughter here was baptized in the Lutheran Church and our Lutheran bishop in Ukraine is my former pastor. Changing the subject, she added, “But the situation in Ukraine is horrible. So far, our town has been spared, but I have seen Russian tanks rumble down our street. Please pray that they do not destroy our town, too.” Our Persian hosts greeted our little group with flowers and then invited us into their home, where we were welcomed with traditional Persian hospitality. As we enjoyed tea, coffee, and snacks, I noticed that we were two Ukrainians, two Iranians, one German, and one German-American—all united in the blood of Christ, doing our best to love our neighbors as ourselves. And as St. Paul says, “If one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Cor 12:26). Ukraine is suffering. Ukrainian Christians are suffering. And with them, so do we Christians all around the world suffer. Kyrie eleison.
tiewsfamily.org 