Build bridges rather than walls and show love is always greater than hatred

ON Monday this week Plymouth fell silent. Thousands of people in the city (and across the Westcountry) stopped and reflected on the terrible events in Keyham just days before. I was one of those who paused, and I suspect that many of you were too.

As we stood there in churches, community centres, shopping malls, in the streets and in the privacy of our own homes, what was it that filled our hearts and minds during that special time of silence?

We will have thought of the victims of the mindless and pointless violence that in a few minutes changed a small neighbourhood community forever. Perhaps, like me, you could not get the picture of young Sophie and her dad out of your thoughts. If you knew any of those who died your heart will have been filled with an overwhelming sense of sadness for them. We will have thought of the friends and family who will now carry the memory of these events for the rest of their lives. Plans that will never come to fruition, potential that cannot be realised, moments of shared companionship and love torn away from many for ever. I hope too that we thought about ourselves. If the killing of these innocent people is to have any legacy, it will be seen in the way we resolve to live our lives from this time forward. The anger, frustration, confusion and hopelessness we may have experienced must not be the things that shape our lives as we who are left prepare to move on. Many newspaper headlines spoke of a city united. My prayer is that unity will not be a thing of a few days or weeks but will urge us to work for peace in our communities, building bridges rather than walls and showing that love is always greater than hatred.

In his letter to the Colossians Paul spoke of Jesus as the one who draws us from darkness to light. May that same Jesus be free to do this work across Plymouth in the years ahead.