“Hope is a spark of glory”

Thomas Brooks Preacher of the House of Commons c1648

If you’ve signed up to host Ukrainian refugees or are likely to do so, please could you complete a simple poll so that we have an idea of possible numbers involved. Please do this in the next 48 hours

HOSTS FOR UKRAINIANS POLL LINK

We are wondering how widespread the hosting-support might be.

The question this raises is how the spark ignited in us by the Holy Spirit has become a flame of Christ-shaped compassionate hope. Sparks of hope change us and bring goodness from even the deepest places of darkness and despair.

A spark of hope

In 2004 a Ukrainian reformer stood for president. His name was Viktor Yushchenko. He suffered a strange case of dioxin poisoning but he courageously refused to back down. He knew that a huge majority of 92% of the population had voted for independence some years previously.

On the 2004 election night two things happened. Despite his exit poll lead, Yushchenko seemed to lose the election. The other situation concerned an unknown lady called Natalya.

Natalya was the deaf-sign-translator who featured at the bottom of the tv screen to communicate to the deaf community that Yuschenko had lost the election, except she didn’t! Natalya instead signed these words, which ignited like a spark:

“Don’t believe what they say. They are lying and I am ashamed to translate these lies. Yushchenko is our President!”.

One woman’s stand sparked hope amongst the deaf community as they texted and emailed friends. A reaction set in. Half a million people gathered in Kyiv and a spark became a flame. [For more on Natalya, see Christianity Today March 2022]

The spark in us

What is the spark that has been ignited in us as we have seen recent images and heard the news? How has the spark become a flame in our lives? How do we sense this spark within us is a calling of the Holy Spirit to live differently, be transformers for good and become more Christ like?

As a church, we aspire to reflect the living flame of Christ because Christ is eternal hope in a darkening world. As the lights have gone out in a part of eastern Europe it surely brings the light of our faith into glowing focus.

We are called to offer hospitality to the traumatised refugee because loving deeply reflects our hope in Christ (1 Peter 4:9). Hospitality is the Greek word philoxenos – love of the stranger. We cannot all take someone into our homes and each person’s circumstance is different. The flame of hope will burn differently for each of us. One may have a gift of a home to share, another may provide food, someone may bring their administrative skills into an organising group, someone else may offer finances (1 Peter 4:10-11).

In recent days the PCC (church trustees) has met, the church leadership has discussed Ukraine and the Channel for Mission group has expanded to encompass a team of willing volunteer organisers. We desire to commit us as a church to six things: organise, host, finance, support, pray, check. None are of the magnitude of Natalya’s words or deeds, but each is a word and deed that communicates that the spark has become a flame of our faithfulness to God. None of us can do all of them.

The flame of response

1 Organise. We need organisers. We’ve learnt from how Afghan and Syrian refugees have been supported. We have formed an organising group to co-ordinate how we might respond as a church, with hosts and with local people. We need several more members. Please email Simon Taylor, Simon Willetts or Shelgah Godwin to join the group. This is a group which will act as a conduit to coordinate work with others locally like the council, churches, Hambledon village team and voluntary groups. It may place refugees or this may be done by the council/government. It will ensure we provide welcome and look at how to support people. It will not be sourcing furnishings or fridge, running or errands. It is an organising group.

2 Host. If you have signed your home up to receive a refugee, or intend to do so, please complete the poll in the next 48 hours. We will keep any information you share confidential. We will only share your name and contact details with the organising group. We simply seeking to gain a general sense of the numbers involved.

3 Finance. Be ready to provide financially, probably via our church family support fund and restricted specifically to Ukrainian support, locally for the refugees/hosts so that they can do things like open a bank account. Please don’t give to this yet. Do give to DEC and other groups directly sending funds elsewhere. Hambledon church and village community are already working together and have an organising team and have raised several thousand pounds which is being held in the church account in a special restricted fund.

4 Support. Be ready to offer practical support to refugees/hosts. You might want to let the organising team know if you have any particular gifts or interests to offer.

5 Pray, and join our regular vigils 7.30pm Hambledon and 8pm Busbridge – Tuesdays.

6 Check our webpage on this whole situation; we will keep it updated.