It is almost two years since we moved to Devon, transferring from busy town to tranquil village.

It is the views of the rolling countryside that sold this house to us. It is the joy of waking up each day to the sound of the birds, at the moment the sound of sheep, and in the summer months the lowing of cattle. Our garden is purposefully designed to attract pollenating bees and butterflies, while our constantly stocked bird feeders attract up to twenty species of bird.

You could call it a retirement dream – and it is. We are so grateful to be able to be here.

Yet life is not always as it should be.

For two days this week Northlew seemed to be under attack. The first sound we heard was chinook helicopters circling at just over roof height. We didn’t think too much of is as with various miliary bases in the area we are used to occasional aircraft passing by the village.

What came next though, was exceptional. Two Typhoon fighter jets swooped over the village is what seemed to be a practice attack on the helicopters who were doing their best to avoid them. Being noise sensitive, the sound of their engines accelerating away from us was totally deafening. The local wildlife agreed with the rooks and starlings rising up en-masse, while the sheep in the field behind us made for cover in under the trees.

Reaction in the village was mixed. A neighbour two doors down from us posted on the village Facebook group, “My dogs are not too keen, and my hearing is struggling, as this is the second day.”

Meanwhile Amy, another resident, posted photos, stating, “Loved it. Super close,” while Charles added, “Lovey sight and noise ….

I confess we did enjoy the aerobatics though we very much appreciated it when the exercise came to and end. Sanity, peace and quiet restored!

We could easily survive two days of exercises, but it again reemphasized to us the horror of war. What if it was a squadron of jets, not just two or three? What if those chinooks dropped heavily armed troops to search the village, and drones started dropping bombs from overhead? What if it happened constantly, day and night, with time seeming to stand still.

How horrific.

And yet this is the reality for so many in the war-torn parts of this world. Innocent people maimed and dying, livelihoods disrupted or destroyed, families torn apart. Pain, suffering, and an agonising desire for peace.

While it is not an easy choice with the aggression we are seeing daily on our TV screens, I still choose to be a pacifist. As John Steinbeck wrote, “All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal.” I equally believe in the sanctity of life.

There may be little I can do to resolve issues in the Middle East, in the Ukraine or elsewhere. My little includes prayer, supporting relief charities and trying to use conversation to spread a message of hope.

My work over the years took me to Russia and Ukraine, to Serbia and Croatia, to Israel and the West bank – and to refugee camps in Greece, Serbia, France and Italy. I met, interacted with and became friends with so many people from so many backgrounds. All are part of the rich tapestry of our humanity.

Hopes, fears, aspirations – who knows what the future may hold for any one of them – indeed, for any one of us. I live in a place of peace and I know that is a blessing. I will try and help those who are not at peace, either locally or on a larger scale, and I will take seriously the words of St Paul to the very challenging church situation in Rome.

I remember taking about prayer in the aftermath of 9/11. In the conversation I suggested that we should pray for Osama bin Laden. A lady at the back of the hall shrieked. I can’t totally blame her – but who needs our prayers the most? Who needs a change of heart? It is easy to criticize, to objectify those we see as evil – but can we also pray for them? I’ll leave you to fill in the names…