We are engaged in a dangerous war between Russia and Ukraine. What the media show. is a ruthless destruction of houses where people live. They are fleeing west. Countless people die.
Remarkable is the eagerness with which these refugees are received in the West, but without realizing what is happening to themselves. The refugees have been traumatized by the brutal violence, just as refugees from elsewhere are traumatized. Without appropriate shelter they will give problems their spite. Sometimes they will not be able to control themselves. Often people who take them in don't really know how to take them in, because they don't know how their souls are wounded and what an appropriate response is. And if they are already able to listen to their stories, it is difficult to recognize to what extent they can also become traumatized themselves by their stories.
Another problem is the selectivity of the reaction. People who are fleeing the violence in their environment elsewhere in the world, such as in African countries, are banned by the same countries that receive Ukrainian refugees. Pope Francis calls this racism.
An additional problem is that the facilities for this are inadequate. The recipient countries are not prepared to accommodate such a large flow and to give them sufficient minimum support.
An additional problem is the mentality in the West, which has been poisoned by neo-liberalism, whose motto is that everyone must save themselves. Everything is turned into a revenue model as much as possible, which invites abuse. There's plenty to gloat, but this doesn't help.
How do we understand this madness and can it be stopped?
The media reports on a moving train, but where does the train come from and where is it going to?
The fall of the wall opened up the possibility of entering an era of peace, which should include all people. But those with influence and power saw an opportunity to indulge their assertiveness. They saw people as objects on which they could indulge their lusts. For every choice someone makes, you can come up with arguments to justify it.
What's more important, however, is how you think. Can you think inclusively, include the differences between people. Do you also have the ability to realize what is obvious to you, but not to others? Do you allow yourself to be contradicted and can you listen to it? Can you see through the eyes of the other?
I think it is important to let the points sink in step by step and to discuss this with your family and friends, with whom you suspect that she or he is a possible ally.
I realize that this is an extensive project that takes time to realize.
It takes patience and trust to build your community together as a place where you can live together with those on the run.
I hope with this story to give courage and hope for a better future in this confusing time.
In order to understand the background of this war, it is important to ask good questions for clarification. You then open up.
A 47-minute documentary depicts the history of Russia through the ages, which has been marked by much violence. See https://youtu.be/w0Wmc8C0Eq0
Louis Bohte ofm
