As I was leaving the hospital room of a parishioner who lay dying, I literally bumped into another parishioner in the hallway.  He was a physician, making rounds in the hospital.  The church member I had just visited was not one of his patients, so he asked me how the person was doing.  I told him that it looked to me like the person would not be with us much longer. 

We murmured the usual things about how sad it would be to lose him and how well loved he was by the church and then I said, “You know, sometimes I wish there was something tangible that I could do to help.  At least when you come in the room, your patients can expect you to ease their pain or help them get better.”

He didn’t hesitate a second.  He said, “I think you have that all wrong.  I envy you.  I can only do what I know and even if I know everything about a disease, there is still a limit to what I can do.  When I have run out of all the things I know, and the person is dying I have nothing more to give.  You can help them find spiritual healing and peace even as they are dying, and you can give hope to the loved ones who grieve.”

I never forgot what he said.  He was right.  With terminal disease and with shells falling on cities in Ukraine, we say, “All we can do is pray,” as if praying was just window dressing on hopeless despair. 

Firstly, remember that prayer is never an excuse not to act.  I want a doctor who is not only relying on prayer when treating me but is also relying on medical knowledge and skill. 

As God’s people, we have a responsibility to heal and help, to be protectors and peace-makers.  But prayer matters.  God acts.  We don’t always see the miracles we ask for, but God is able to do more than chemotherapy and God is stronger than armies.

I don’t mean that God is a rabbit’s foot we can rub for luck or a genie who grants wishes.  God can do anything, but God is not ours to command.  That’s what Jesus meant when he prayed: “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” (Mark 14:36)

Jesus’ prayer in the Garden combines perfect confidence in God’s power to change things and perfect trust in God’s goodness and wisdom even when our prayer requests are not granted in the way we hope.

Prayer: Merciful God, you desire peace for your people.  Bring peace, we pray, to the people of Ukraine.  Strengthen the witness and mission of your church in bringing aid and in making peace.  When sanctions and armies fail, be the strong deliverer of those who suffer the violence and terror of war.  Amen.