Will Peace Come to Ukraine?

After a marathon 18 hour all night peace talk in Minsk Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin emerged with a plan in hand.

Here’s a summary of a few of the significant points of the new plan according the Petro Poroshenko’s official website.

(for a more detailed analysis of the peace agreement go here.)

• Unconditional ceasefire will start at 12:01 AM Sunday February 15th.
• 25 km pullback of artillery of 100mm and greater by both sides.
• Multiply launch rocket systems must be pulled back 70 km by both sides.
• Liberation of all hostages within 19 days.
• Withdrawal of all foreign troops from the territory of Ukraine.

These peace talks are great news if they actually stick!

The problem with peace talks is that they are all too often exactly what they sound like, a bunch of people talking about peace. If talking about peace could bring peace then we would have had peace a long time ago!

I got this letter about a church member who was killed in shelling shortly after one of the last “peace” plans.

The problem is that even the best plan for peace can’t bring peace if those on the ground aren’t willing to put down their guns and go home. What I’m saying is that these “powerful” leaders aren’t always powerful enough to bring the peace that the people are crying out for.

Peace is an odd thing, it seems like everyone wants it but no one knows how to get it. Everyone on every side of the conflict says they’re fighting for peace but their fighting doesn’t bring peace.

The problem is that peace doesn’t exist in the material world, you can’t go to the store and buy peace. Peace isn’t something that can be created in a laboratory or mined out of the ground and it’s certainly not something that a simple document can create.

Now I’m not against peace treaties, as I said, they’re good as long as they’re held to. However, we must understand that peace doesn’t exist in the ink and paper of a document.

Peace always describes the nature of a relationship. Thus, peace exists in the space between two people or two groups of people. I hope the peace talks will bring a ceasefire but I don’t believe they will bring peace.

Real peace is much more than an absence of fighting, it’s the presence of forgiveness and the process of reconciliation.  I hope and pray that will happen in Ukraine. I pray that these world leaders would make wise decisions but ultimately they can’t affect the hearts of millions of Ukrainians.

Only Jesus can do that!

So, yes, I hope the peace talks stick, but more than that I pray that the hearts of Ukrainians would experience real peace that only the Prince of Peace can offer.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(Isa 9:6)