Displaying items by tag: Europe

James Jones, the former Bishop of Liverpool, who chaired an independent panel of inquiry into the Hillsborough football disaster, has been knighted in the New Year Honours list for services to bereaved families and justice. Bishop Jones was widely praised for his chairmanship of the panel, which concluded that many of the deaths at Hillsborough might have been avoided with better medical care. Bishop Jones said that he had mixed emotions on accepting the KBE, ‘because of the enduring sadness of the families who continue to feel the loss of their loved ones’. The inquiry, he said, had been ‘very much the climax’ of his 15 years as Bishop of Liverpool. A Hillsborough protester, Professor Phil Scraton, who led the panel’s research team, revealed last week that he had turned down an OBE in protest at those who ‘remained unresponsive’ to the campaign for truth and justice.

Millions are fleeing from the tyranny of war, famine, and heartache in the largest movement of people since WWII. For most, Europe offers the only hope of safety, and many risk the very real threat of death on their journeys to refuge. Often these people are seen as a problem, but while our enemy can use people to kill, steal, and destroy, God sees each and every person as a unique and loved creation. Greater Europe Mission (GEM) is just one of the many organisations which are working to meet the needs of the millions of vulnerable and hurting displaced people in train stations, courtyards, and fields across Europe. Unfortunately defensive reactions, not open-handed welcome, is the response from many citizens in receiving countries. Anxiety about those who are ‘different’ is driving people to fear and reject refugees.  Pray for Christians in these countries to lead the way by offering rest and refreshment, and lifting burdens.

‘The terror attack on the Christmas market in Berlin has been reported in detail in the media. As well as praying for the bereaved and injured, please pray for the security forces, police, politicians and the justice system to work together for the security of citizens, and to better manage the challenges of tracing those who may be intent on carrying out terror attacks. Pray for God’s wisdom and protection from the rule of fear.’ Also: ‘Post-factual (or Post-truth) stands for a fundamental change in presenting news and information in society. Increasingly political and social discussions are based on emotion rather than facts. An emotional perception of what is real then replaces the factual reality. The “truth” now rests in what everybody is talking about irrespective of the underlying facts. News is increasingly created and spread through social networks. Pray for political leaders to protect citizens from the deliberate manipulation of facts and make the spreading of untrue information a punishable offence.’