The following is a report by Victor Pinnock on the Hope against Violence National Service held at Westminster Abbey on Thursday 15 January 2004

I attended the Hope Against Violence Service at Westminster Abbey last month. During the last decade, which I have worked in Whitehall, I had not even attempted to go into the Abbey. The wonder of the building's architecture made this time of healing all the more fitting. The main aim of the service was to look back and reflect on gun related violence and murder, and to support the families and communities who had suffered through one of society's main ills, through recognising the spirit of the work of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, whose great work was poignantly cut short by gun crime. I am always reminded of the saying "the evil that men do" when thinking about gun crime.

The Prime Minister, Tony Blair sent his support of the service, and re-enforced the message (which was which the main thrust felt throughout the service) that many of us are in the position that we may know someone who has been injured or sadly killed by the gun, and it is up to us in the community to come together and help each other, by supporting initiatives such as Operation Trident Independent Advisory Group, which was set in March 1998 as intelligence-based initiative in reaction to spate of shootings and murders in London and Brent.

The tone of the service was set by a wonderful and emotional rendition of Amazing Grace by the People's Christian Centre Choir, which made one thankful to be there, especially when hearing inspirational verses from one's childhood like:
" The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The Sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
Shall be forever mine."

The Dean of Westminster spoke eloquently about the fact the service was an opportunity to show the Lord, that we as a people, had the ability to give ourselves to him, by standing against these crimes through Operation Trident. He told the congregation that we would light candles to represent that coming together we could overcome anything, as he said "And then we shall go out into the darkness, each with his or her light, to witness to the fact that we believe in that light which the darkness has never overcome, the brightness of God himself."

We then watched transfixed, as Patsy McCoy, whose son Darien was shot in 1999 gave a heart felt reading of Isaiah 2: 2-5 [And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it…] I felt the passage showed how beautiful we can be as a people, that through the word of the Lord adversity can be turned around to show that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Canon Robert Wright read a sentence from Scripture from St Luke 6: 37-38, which just seemed to capture the moment appropriately. [Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven…]

The feeling that we can come together to make a difference was borne out by Sir John Stevens, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who re-iterated the fact through the police working together with the community trust could be built on and Operation Trident was one very successful because it was a recognition that all parts of the community, could deal with the problems society sometimes throws our way.

I was reminded of what my father often said - that if somebody does something bad do you try and do something good to them - when Denise Feardon, whose brother Jason was shot last year, read from St Matthew 5: 38-48. Jesus said to his disciples: You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take you coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone wants to sue you and take you and take coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you go one mile, go also the second mile. These words seemed to have greater significance in these modern times.

The next part of the service was totally astonishing. Steve Akorsa-Acquah, who served a twenty year sentence for his assault on his assailant Bill Burns, a then serving policeman who had to retire from the force from injuries he had received. Bill recounted that ten years after the incident, he'd received a letter from Steve wanting to say sorry. Bill felt the only way not to end up bitter and twisted was to let go of the bitterness and forgive Steve. He knew this opened him up to criticism, but he understood that it would enable him to become a better person and allow him to have empathy with other victims of crime. Steve felt he could only start putting his life back together again if Bill could see fit to forgive him, and that he felt that young people should know there are consequences for actions such as his - he had pay for this by doing a twenty year sentence. Steve also recognised in Bill the importance of not being bitter.

Canon Michael Middleton read a sentence of scripture: Micah 6:8 [He have shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?] The main point he was trying to get over was that as a community we must do justice by our actions, which to me is a very powerful and emotive action.

The Home Secretary recognised the value of the community. He said that no individual could do it alone and effect a change all by themselves. He felt that gun crime was a destructive force to the community and that's why it was so important to unite. He mentioned last year's Peace Forum in Haringey, and how important it had been, and that's why the government would keep funding the Inside Project. He felt changes could be made as he said, "Do it together we can."

The Reverend Joel Edwards said that sometimes it seems as though young people have no hope in their lives, as they are projected negative stereotypes through music etc, and continued the theme of Community. He recounted that Abel had been the first victim of homicide recorded in the bible, and to stop youngsters becoming involved in crime we need to become people orientated rather than thing orientated to prevent family breakdown. He said that Stephen Lawrence had been voted as one of the top 100 Black Britain's of all time - I think this is so, not because he was a martyr to achieve change in society, but that people recognise that a boy full of love and potential and able to make a difference in the community had been taken from us. That's why I felt Joel Edwards said that although we can make progress as humans, we must always remember "you cannot kill God without dying a slow death yourself." Thus there is no community structure without God.

During Mica Paris's stunning rendition of 'We shall overcome some day' it was as if heaven opened up and came down amongst the congregation - people in the church began to make a connection with each other. The lady in front of me looked at me and nodded and I knew exactly what she meant, I guess it's like James Brown used to sing 'I got the feeling'. Not by any conversation, but by recognition of the fact that we loved each other and we are all in one community under the love and guidance of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lee Jasper, Advisor to the Mayor of London, and Chairman of Operation Trident Independent Advisory Group, borrowed from Dr King when he said that these days society lacked morals and was not kind, truthful and honest, and whilst science had made the world a neighbourhood in a sense, we had failed to make it a brotherhood, because what we'd forgotten in striving to move forward is that we have left our morals behind and we need to rediscover them if we are to progress. He spoke that although the Government can legislate to punish wrongdoing like gun-crime, it has no power of itself to make people good - what is needed is a change in our hearts. This reminded me of Romans 3 where Paul talks about the Law only condemning, whereas only God's grace is able to make a difference to our lives.

Before the final song, "Something Inside So Strong", the Dean led us in an Act of Hope and Dedication:

Lord, take us from despair,
And bring us to hope.
Take us from darkness,
And put us in light.
Help us to believe that
Good does triumph over evil,
And that light is brightest in the darkness.
Confident in your presence.
This we pray,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I think this is what it's truly all about, finding that light when all seems dark, through all sectors of society and realising that we are never alone, never!

 

report by Victor Pinnock