Tower and Town, July 2017 (view the full edition)Clergy Letter: The Holy SpiritWriting this letter on the day after Pentecost Sunday and in the immediate aftermath of the London Bridge terror attack, the contrast between the two events is particularly stark. Yesterday we celebrated the birth of the church as God poured out his Holy Spirit on the disciples and they in turn went out of hiding to share the Good News of Jesus with the crowds. It was a day of excitement that changed the world and when the church today is as open to the power of God's Spirit, still changes the world. Contrast this with those who chose to bring death and terror to London and to Manchester, not forgetting Kabul, Cairo and Manila, and we see the reality of both death and life, dark and light in our world. Pentecost is an outpouring of God's love, the attacks an outpouring of hate. Perhaps the timing is good in that the different events highlight the stark difference and challenge us about the way we respond. We have seen the humanity and compassion poured out in London and Manchester and the refusal to be cowed by the tragedies. These remind us that the power of love for our neighbour is more powerful than hatred. If we are to overcome terror in our midst it will not come by increased security and more stringent laws, although these are important. It will certainly not come by demonising all Muslims. We will only overcome hatred by loving our neighbour. When we recognise and celebrate our common humanity how can we seek evil and not compassion? When we refuse to give in to terror, when we refuse to sacrifice our freedom, when we refuse to stop living our lives then the light triumphs over the darkness. We have no way of knowing how many attacks there may be in the future, but I pray that we will find it within ourselves to continue loving our neighbour as God loves us and so create light in the face of those who would plunge us into darkness. We hold in prayer all who have been affected by the tragedies in London and Manchester and for the emergency services whose response shows such compassion and courage. May God's Holy Spirit bless us and fill us with God's love. Heather Cooper |