Talking to our kids about war…Last week, I had a group of worried students come and chat with me about the war in Urkaine. They were deeply concerned and quite frightened, and their compassion and sincere love for the vulnerable was evident. I listened to them, reassured them, and encouraged them to pray. They were excited to give me a geography lesson of where Tasmania was in relation to Russia and Ukraine. I anticipate that you have been having similar conversations with your family and that the group of students’ experience of the war in Ukraine is much similar to most adult responses. As I read the Weekend Australian on the weekend, a Saturday ritual that I enjoy with a good coffee, I was consistently made aware that we cannot shelter ourselves from what is happening in the world - the good and the not so good. You only need to turn a few pages into a newspaper or check your Facebook feed, and you are reminded of the war in Ukraine; the brokenness, pain, sorrow and hardship. In the last few weeks, as I have tried to stomach the information, I have read some helpful, and some not so helpful, articles with some even promoting the idea of ignoring what’s happening in Ukraine. I have been constantly reminded to draw close to God through His Word and to pray. God does not want us to ignore what’s happening in Ukraine; rather, God calls us to be responsive disciples where we have the mind, heart and life of Christ. Brenton Jayatilaka, a father and a minister at City On A Hill in Melbourne, suggests that getting ahead of this topic with our children is the best-case scenario and offers some wise and helpful ways that families can approach the topic of the war in Ukraine from a Christian worldview: 1. Pray: These are not easy conversations to have with our children. Ask God to work through you and in your children as you begin a discussion. 2. Let them ask questions: Often, we won’t know what our kids think until they ask us what they don’t know. We don’t always have to have the answer, but inviting their questions reminds them you’re a safe person to talk to. 3. Ask them questions: Maybe you haven’t had a conversation yet, but you know they know about what is going on. This is a great gospel opportunity to talk to your kids about this moment they are living in. Simple questions like, “What do you think about…” or, “How does that make you feel?”, can give you great insights into what they are thinking and help guide your prayers. 4. Look at the map together: Many of us don’t know where Ukraine is, or its surrounding countries. It’s a good opportunity to give our kids a visual lesson and to pray for the surrounding area. Do you know where Moldova is? I didn’t! 5. Share information with discernment: This particular conflict is filled with many gruesome details and images. Kids don’t need to know (or see) everything to understand the gravity of war. Consider what it looks like to provide them with helpful, age-appropriate information without over-sharing. 6. Consider getting involved: You may be able to financially partner with organisations that can help with relief on the ground. These seemingly insufficient responses could be an action for your family to consider and turn into an important discipleship moment. 7. Point your children to God’s word for truth: Wars begin because of injustice in our hearts (James 4:1-2) Jesus came to earth for peace and has overcome the world (John:16:33) God desires for all people to seek peace (Psalm 34:11-14) We can call upon God’s protection for His people (Isaiah – 41:10) We can trust God with our fears (1 Peter 5:7) We can trust God’s plan (Romans 8:28) Consider how we can love and pray for our enemies (Luke 6:27-28)
8. Use the gospel as your guide: Jesus came with a promise to end all wars forever. Unpacking Jesus’ death can help our children see the evil acts of war with a gospel-centered lens and find hope. Here are some prompts: The cross brings justice (1 John 2:2) The cross offers peace (Ephesians 2:4-5) The cross gives us the road to hope (Romans 8:24-25)
This may not be the first or the last conversation you’ll have with your children about this topic. My prayer is that we will partner together so home and school will be safe spaces for students to talk and ask their questions. We will continue to be a transformational Christian learning community where we earnestly seek Jesus and where we love others throughout the world as Jesus loves. Bethany Armstrong - Principal
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