Written March 21, 2022
By Roland Evans
Dear Readers,
This is a perilous time for the world. The war in Ukraine is horrific; it forces us to realize how fragile and tenuous our lives are. The callous violence of one person in power can bring our whole world to the brink of destruction.
Below is a personal reflection on the trauma of war and how it affected my family. The Ukraine war will likewise affect innocent generations to come.
WAR TRAUMA
The terrible devastation in Ukraine disturbs me at a very deep level. It closely resembles the launch of World War II when Hitler invaded Poland. That war is personal for me; it traumatized and damaged both my parents and as a consequence, created untold disturbance in my family.
My mother’s French lover was killed six weeks into the war. Later, she was bombed and buried under rubble in the London Blitz. The resulting brain damage caused chronic pain and a distortion of her personality. Basically she became unfit to be a mother.
My father was an RAF bomber pilot who destroyed cities across Germany. All his close RAF friends were killed. In Dresden he acted as a Pathfinder (first in, last out) and witnessed the raging firestorm that seared and suffocated thousands of innocent civilians. He knew it was wrong and it scarred his soul.
On screen, we see pictures of wreckage and ruin, bodies battered and broken. If we are not conscious, those images will bury deep into our psyches and cause damage—secondary trauma. We have to be attentive and not get engrossed and overwhelmed.
We know of the intense shock and suffering happening right this moment. What we don’t foresee is war-trauma slithering through the generations, strangling lives and devouring children yet to be born. War is an eruption of the dark inhuman shadow; it seeks to snuff out the light that illuminates our lives, not just in the present, but far into the future.
In the face of so much evil, it is too easy to get depressed, obsessed or turn and look away. It is hard to stay attentive, open and compassionate. When inhumanity stalks the world, when a soulless demagogue wields his bloody weapons, our task is to cherish the inner radiance of true humanity.
Individually, we cannot stop the war in Ukraine, but we can meditate, pray, practice love and act with integrity and generosity. In the blackest night, hold the flame up high.
To pray, perchance to dream,
Imagining a kinder world
In which the man, caressed by care,
Lays down the heavy iron gun
And takes up arms to hold and hug.
Please leave a comment
Roland, your thoughts and narrative, although they are deeply affecting, do not weigh a person down. they are good to read—thanks.
Thank you, Roland, for such a beautiful and heartfelt essay. I was deeply stirred. Your sister, Halimah
thank you Roland 🙂 love & God bless 🙂
A moving reflection and lovely poem at the end, Roland. Thank you.
Ren Ruslan
This is the blessing and joy of Latihan
Thank you, Roland, for the gift of your story and encouraging words. I woke up this morning wondering if this is the day the rest of the Ukrainian brothers and sisters flee their homes. Somehow, this really helps.
Thank you. May God bless you and your family. I hope to join the World Latihan 2 am EDT tomorrow.
Thank you Roland, this story enlightens the situation. The poem is a happy reminder of what we can do and how we can be. Love and Blessings, Robert
PS-Bapak has told us that the level of a person’s soul can only be known by God. So, we don’t really know if Putin has a soul or not. It may simply be covered up by a heavy mass of lower forces that have found their way to the top of the Russian government as a fear reaction of the Russian people to centuries of invasion.
I so appreciate your words of wisdom regarding secondary trauma. Feeling the devastation within one’s self can cause internal damage and not be helpful. Positive acts and actions are needed to heal in the world.
Thank you.
The Biblical answer: Matthew 24:15–22