Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

The Conservative 2017 manifesto said, ‘The United Kingdom is leaving the EU and we will no longer be members of the single market or customs union’. Labour’s manifesto said, ‘Labour accepts the referendum result’. Psalm 15 says the ones who speak the truth from their heart; who keep an oath even when it hurts, and do not change their mind, will dwell with God. Currently the two parties are ‘talking’ of ways to bring about Brexit despite a paralysed parliament. Nextdoor, in the House of Lords, Bishop Donald Allister called on MPs to sacrifice some of their principles and unite for a Brexit solution. Outside, MPs are being intimidated by the public, and the police have 10,000 officers ready to deploy should no-deal violence in the streets erupt. The police chiefs’ chairman said people should think carefully to avoid inciting others to violence.

After receiving 430 letters of concern over proposed new regulations for Relationships and Sex Education, the House of Lords will now publicly debate the issue first, rather than just voting. The House of Commons voted to pass the new regulations on 27 March, but the Lords still have the power to prevent them from becoming law. The date of the debate has not yet been set. Pray that as the Lords debate the proposals, they will recognise the concerns of Christians and many other parents about the steady erosion of parents’ freedom to determine how to teach their children about morals, sexuality and gender ‘in conformity with their religious and philosophical convictions’. This freedom is guaranteed by the first protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights.

There are more slaves today in the world than at any other point in history. Right now, over forty million people are trapped and exploited in slavery. Over 25% of these are children. IJM invites you to join them, standing in the gap and going into deeper intercession for the survivors who have been rescued and crying out for those who are still trapped; praying for the teams going into the darkest corners of the world. Come in May to London or Glasgow,  prepared for a day of storytelling, inspired intercession, and worship. Join guest speaker Benson Shamala (IJM Kenya’s deputy director), Dr Amy Orr-Ewing, and singer-songwriter Lucy Grimble in London, or with 24-7 Prayer Scotland’s Crystal Cryer and worship group Ps & Gs Music in Glasgow. Pray for justice and courage to equip you to raise your voice against the strongholds of violence and be part of ending slavery for ever.

Theresa May has hosted an emergency summit, to tackle the epidemic of knife crime and youth violence. The Government plans to see teachers, nurses and police officers held to account if they fail to ‘spot warning signs’ of violent crime among young people. Over 100 experts will explore the scope and potential impact of new ideas, while kick-starting a further programme of action. Pray for Met police commissioner Cressida Dick, home secretary Sajid Javid, Patrick Green from the Ben Kinsella Trust, and Baroness Newlove, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, as they explore ways of supporting young people. Pray for good communication between the various strands of new systems to be implemented in the NHS, social services, probation services, police, and schools, so that warning signs are spotted when a young person is in danger.

The Inspectorate of Constabulary has said ‘inconsistent’ approaches to policing fraud in England and Wales leaves people at high risk of scams. One officer told its inquiry that a crime was not a priority if it didn’t ‘bang, bleed or shout’. Police said ‘significant’ work was under way to address the problems. By 2017 identity theft had reached epidemic levels. Recent police statistics show that over £190,000 a day is being lost in the UK by victims of cyber-crime, with people in their 30s the most-targeted group. The elderly are ‘under siege’ from scammers. Inspectors visited 11 police forces and other agencies that tackle fraud. One force filed 96% of the cases it received from a national intelligence bureau without further investigation, despite inspectors finding a good deal of evidence, including names of suspects, in some of the cases. Another force had only two dedicated fraud investigators.

Professor Martin Siegert from the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London said that the last time CO2 levels were as high as they are now, there were trees at the South Pole, sea levels were 20 metres higher than they are now, and global temperatures were 3C-4C warmer. If we keep carbon emissions going at the current rate, by the end of the century we will have 1,000ppm, compared to the low 280ppm level of CO2 prior to the industrial revolution. The Bible says God created the light, land, sea, vegetation, fish, birds and every living creature and ‘saw that it was good’. The earth and everything on it reflect the wonder of God; our concern for creation should be rooted in our worship of the God who made it all.

On 27 March, MPs voted on a series of eight different Brexit options and rejected them all. The next morning Conservative MP Stephen Crabbe said, ‘We would have been leaving tomorrow had people rallied round and supported the prime minister. Instead, different groups of MPs were all holding out for their own versions of Brexit, and that’s a recipe for chaos.’ Our God who rules the nations is not a God of chaos. We can pray for the UK to be ruled by people with the discernment to maintain order (Proverbs 28:2). We should remember that the debate now is focused on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU. The conditions of the future relationship between the country and the bloc, assuming the UK leaves at all, still have to be negotiated.

The Church of Scotland has issued a new prayer in light of the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit as MPs appeared to remain in deadlock, despite Theresa May's offer to quit. The prayer reminds us that the date will arrive and will pass, and that time is in God’s hands. When we worry and feel paralysed by not knowing, we can ask Him to remind us that He is the God of all possibilities. We are to turn our eyes to look beyond 'us', to a world in which God’s love transcends every border and barrier. We pray that ‘in every place, in everyone, in everything, in every corner of Your creation, You are. For our times are in Your hand. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.’

Justin Welby has tweeted that it is easy to tell MPs how badly they are doing and abuse and threaten. Instead of that, he urged people to pray for them, because as they have to decide for us they deserve our respect. He said, ‘Let us pray for them, for a decision that has widespread support, and for a process that brings national agreement.’ He has told the House of Lords that ‘there is a requirement for national reconciliation’. He has also urged Remainers and Brexiteers to get together this weekend. The CofE wants to get people who disagree over membership of the bloc to ‘chat over a cup of tea and pray for our country and our future’.

Tell MAMA supports victims of anti-Muslim hatred, and also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents. It highlights the rise in instances of harassment or abuse online, being targeted on public transport, being physically attacked, having property damaged, experiencing discrimination at work, school, or university, and receiving hate mail by post or email. Tell MAMA’s director, Imam Atta, says, ‘We are in deeply worrying times where people are looking for certainty, but what they are getting is instability at a political and societal level. At times like this, minority groups are the ones who suffer the anger of those looking to vent their fears, insecurities and concerns’. Its annual report gives examples of ‘Twitter bots’ seeking to cause disruption and division in communities, give false perceptions, and actively promote anti-Muslim hatred. Pray that neighbours would learn from each other’s differences and find common ground in their community.