大象传媒

Good morning.

The violent disturbances that disrupted the peace of towns across England for several nights in August, shocked me deeply. The willingness of many of those taking part to believe and act on rumours spread on social media, even when they had been clearly rebutted by police, exposed something deeply corrosive in British society - a profound lack of trust in authority figures combined with a toxic gullibility when offered something the hearer wants to believe is true. Where trust is low, peace is only ever going to be shallow, easily disrupted, and, once damaged, hard to repair. So, whether we are seeking peace between nations, or within a single community, we need to pay attention to trust. We must develop patterns of behaviour that build up trust, especially between those not minded to trust each other.

For centuries the international dimension of trust building has been part of the core work of diplomats. In more recent times, international agencies such as the United Nations have also played an important part. Within nations, when leaders, including in politics, business and even faith communities, behave in ways that show themselves to be untrustworthy, divisions are exacerbated and peace made more fragile.

So, today I pray.

God of all truth, help us to distinguish between truth and falsehood, especially when we prefer to believe a lie. Grant us leaders, in every walk of society, who are truth-telling and trustworthy. Bless the work of diplomats, international agencies and all who seek to build up trust between the nations, particularly in times when trust is low. May the rewards of their words and deeds be seen in the growth of peace. Amen.