Peace in the Face of War

Sister Ruth OSB from West Malling Abbey has been living in St Gabriel
Hermitage for some years, pursuing her call to a solitary life. She returned to
the Abbey in December 2015 to assist the community there in their various
developments, particularly in the new guest accommodation. We miss her
presence amongst us very much and also her sterling work in keeping the
gardens around the hermitages in order. We were pleased to welcome her
back for a retreat earlier this year, and hope she will continue to be able to
have such times of solitude with us.
Thank you as always for your gifts, prayers and support expressed in so
many ways.
Introduction to Articles
4
Colin CSWG
The politically grave turn of events in the Middle East along with the terrible
suffering of the people of Syria and Iraq, both Muslims and Christians, have
weighed heavily on the minds and hearts of us all. The arrival of two articles
on the theme of pursuing peace in the face of war became the seed for the
decision to devote this entire issue of Come to the Father to the investigation
of that subject.
* * *
We have heard of an Anglican monk who waited ten years before his abbot
gave him permission to visit the Monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex. He
had hoped to procure an audience with the esteemed Elder, Archimandrite
Sophrony. It was some days, however, before the Elder learned of his
existence. Told the monk was scheduled to depart later that afternoon, the
Elder agreed to a meeting. When they were finally seated together in a small
parlour, the young monk asked the first of his several questions: ‘How long
is “long-suffering” (Psalm 13)? When will “this suffering” be over?’ The old
man, whose countenance transmitted that he was no stranger to suffering,
leaned forward, and holding the young monk in a steady gaze, said softly:
’Not until your last breath.’
In a paper by University of Durham theologian, Dr Krastu Banev, we find a
rare glimpse into what lay behind Fr Sophrony’s personal spiritual suffering:
namely, witnessing to a century of wars, of ‘the nightmare of men – all of
whom are brothers – killing one another.’ The world is almost continually
fraught with war. However, even in the unlikely event of a total cessation of
war, Elder Sophrony says, people will still not find peace. Peace is not of this
world. True peace is found in Christ, something we are called to strive for
and share in.