The United Reformed Church is pressing the British government to avoid participating in any further military action in Syria and instead to urgently work with international partners to pursue peaceful solutions.
Early on the morning of Saturday 14 April 2018, the UK joined the US and France in bombing government sites in Syria, targeting chemical weapons facilities.
The move was in response to a chemical attack launched by forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad on 7 April where scores of innocent people were killed or injured.
The Revd Kevin Watson, Moderator of the United Reformed Church General Assembly, said: ‘The death, devastation and terror being imposed on the people of Syria is tragic and deplorable. Our prayers for peace and their protection continue.
‘As a faith community, we acknowledge that challenging the use of chemical weapons is right, and those responsible should be held to account. However, we are concerned that more military strikes will lead to more deaths and add to the devastation and displacement that the people of Syria are already experiencing.
‘Jesus calls on his people to be peacemakers. The road to peace is a long and hard one, but ultimately this conflict will only be ended through negotiation.
‘We will continue to pray for the safety and well-being of the Syrian people, and urge our political leaders to redouble their efforts to bring all parties together to broker a peaceful solution.’
Prayer
Loving God,
We hold before you the people of Syria.
Comfort those who today mourn or live in fear,
and may those scarred by violence know healing.
We hold before you those with influence in our world.
We pray that they will use their power wisely,
respecting every life and pursuing all that makes for peace.
We hold before you our own needs and our own hearts.
Help us to respond to suffering with compassion, to enemies with love,
and to aggression with a renewed commitment to peacemaking.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen
Picture: Freedom House/Flickr
