Hope Rising...

It has been almost two weeks since Russia did the unthinkable and violated Ukraine's sovereignty. The brutal, relentless bombardment has shocked the world and it is not only Ukraine's neighbors that now fear Putin's next steps. The seizing of Chernobyl and the attack on the nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia have put the whole world on edge — and rightly so!

But there is more to the story than terror. What we are seeing played out on the global stage is the battle between good and evil, between love and hate, truth and lies — between David and Goliath, if you will. If Putin's onslaught on Ukraine represents the worst of humanity, so the courageous defiance of Ukraine and her leaders — especially that of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — is nothing short of inspiring. In the media and social media alike, images and narratives of heroism in action mesmerize us, inspire us, call us to stand in solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

Who has not seen images of brave medics treating the wounded, the infirm, the shell-shocked? Or of first responders digging through the rubble for survivors, putting out fires, dragging the injured to safety? Or of everyday Ukrainians blocking convoys of tanks with their bodies or of the soldier who sacrificed himself by blowing up a bridge that would have given access to the Russian invaders?

In other countries, some have heard the call to arms and left their homelands to join forces with Ukrainian resistance; others have donated generously and creatively, even through "fake" Airbnb bookings that can quickly channel funds to those who need them the most; still others — more than a million protesters — have taken to the streets in 200 cities on six continents; people from every faith tradition are praying for peace, for the cessation of hostilities.

Across the globe, there is an uprising of hope that is stronger than all the destruction that Putin can inflict; there is a universal call for justice that is louder than all Putin's weaponry; and there is an indomitable resistance to all that Putin represents. From the ashes, Ukraine — and humane values — will rise again!