4th March 2026

We sat quietly at the beginning of the service in church on Sunday, mindful of the attacks in Iran and the Middle East over the weekend. On the news we had seen unfamiliar place names, dots on the map, but where real people – just like us – were experiencing the terror of military attacks. It is hard to comprehend. Later we heard words from a Ukrainian Christian, of their experience of somehow living and carrying on through war, and their story somehow stood for all those who, today, live with conflict that is too close at hand.

What should we pray? How can we respond? Faced with such violence in the world it is easy to be overwhelmed into paralysis. What can we do that feels significant enough to match the enormity of the situation?

It was St David’s Day and Elizabeth reminded us of words attributed to him, “Do the little things”. It is said that we climb a mountain one step at a time. All the moments of opportunity for the little things in life probably add up to more than the occasions for grand gestures. May we continue to do the little things that we can do in this world – as they can make a difference.

I love the gentle but powerful words of Fred Kaan’s hymn:

Put peace into each other’s hands and like a treasure hold it,
protect it like a candle flame, with tenderness enfold it…

Put Christ into each other’s hands, he is love’s deepest measure,
in love make peace, give peace a chance and share it like a treasure.

Ruth Allen