Help Comes in Many Forms

Summary

John C. Davis, an introverted writer, expresses his struggle with feeling powerless amidst the war in Ukraine and his commitment to using his words to offer hope and love, despite not having direct experience with war.

Abstract

In the midst of the Ukraine conflict, John C. Davis, an introverted writer who typically refrains from immediate commentary, grapples with the challenge of addressing a topic he has no personal experience with—war. He acknowledges his privileged position, having never faced the horrors of conflict, yet he is deeply affected by the suffering he sees. Davis feels compelled to write about the war, despite his usual focus on hope and love, because he believes in the power of words to heal and to reach people, possibly even those in Ukraine. He admits to feeling powerless and struggles with the urge to disengage from the constant news cycle. However, he resolves to continue writing, aiming to provide a glimmer of hope and love, convinced that his words might somehow make a difference.

Opinions

Davis identifies as an introvert who takes time to process and articulate his thoughts and feelings.
He emphasizes the power of words as a tool for healing and influencing positive change in the world.
Davis feels a deep sense of responsibility to address human suffering, particularly when it seems preventable.
He is troubled by the unnecessary suffering caused by the war in Ukraine

Your words are a powerful tool to help heal the world

As many of you know I am an introvert. As an introvert, it takes me quite a while before I can understand what it is I’m feeling. I tend to sit back for a while and then speak. I always have my opinions, but I will rarely share them right away. I will wait. I will ponder. I will pray about it. Then I will speak about it.

I guess today is that day I’m writing about it.

The most difficult part of this is that I’m writing about something that I know nothing about.

Since you are reading this, I believe you may be in my position.

I’m someone who has never experienced the horrors of war. I’ve not experienced living in a shelter underground, fleeing from my home, or wondering if I will survive to the end of the day. This is simply not my experience.

Then why in the world would I write about something that I have no direct experience of?

Maybe it's watching other people suffering and feeling powerless to stop it. As a person who has always been in jobs that involve helping and being of service to others it hurts me to see people suffer.

It especially hurts when it seems to be suffering that could have been avoided. I understand that life will present situations that we can’t prevent or control. But it’s those things that could have been avoided that hurt me the most.

Watching other people go through needless suffering hurts me. I feel powerless. I feel somehow responsible because I can’t or won’t intervene.

Since the war in Ukraine has begun, I have struggled with the urge to not write about it. I’ve been told that people read my work because they want to read about hope and love. Certainly not about war.

On most days I try to go about my daily business and resist the urge to check my phone every five minutes for the latest breaking news. In my mind, I believe that if I check the news enough that I will hear that finally, a cease-fire has come.

What can I possibly do for the people of Ukraine right now? Not much.

I can’t feed the hurting child on the side of the street. I can’t rebuild the family’s home that was just lost. I can’t hold the parents who just lost their son. Maybe I have absolutely no power to do anything. If that’s the case I will try to accept that. I’m under no illusion that I will have any influence over what is happening in Ukraine right now. It sure would be great if I could do something, but I probably can’t.

But I’m a writer. As a writer, I would like to think that my words touch the lives of those around me. I would like to think that those lives will touch other lives. And maybe my words could reach all the way around the world to someone in Ukraine.

Therefore, I will continue to write. I will continue to share words of hope. I will try to shine a light of love.

Maybe it will help. I sure hope so. I need to do something.