May 30th, 2020

What to Pray in difficult times by Pastor Dave
 
‘Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven (if you retain the sins of any they are retained).”’
John 20: 21-23
 
     I do not normally write a blog at the weekend but with many I am troubled, saddened and distressed at the public unrest we see in the States. I have been motivated (and encouraged by others) to write. What is the Church’s role; how do we pray? I believe informed, specific, persistent and unified prayer touches God’s heart (Matthew 7: 7-11), and where we have uncertainty the Holy Spirit prays for us in line with God’s will (Romans 8: 26-27). With this in mind I humbly submit the below for your contemplation and prayer. We all come from different perspectives and backgrounds so in offering matters for prayer let me explain mine:
 
     In 1981, the year I joined the Police Service, the UK experienced riots and pubic unrest across the country (often called Race Riots). It was a very difficult time. As dust settled and inquiries were completed causal factors were identified. Unsurprisingly poverty, unemployment, housing, health, institutional racism, policing methods, crime, organized crime, Government failings (local and national), education and communication were among some of the main factors; a complex situation. It showed that matters weren’t always as they seemed and the need to understand the full picture was tantamount to ensure solutions. After much work and consultation the Government introduced the Crime and Disorder Act. This directed the main Public Sector organisations to work together in partnership to reduce crime and disorder. These parties (Local Government, Health, Social Service, Police, Education and Criminal Justice Agencies) also and crucially worked together with the voluntary sector, organisations such as community groups, Victim Support and Churches. I was appointed the Force Partnerships Officer and set up this partnership for our region. It transformed our work and more importantly the outcomes. We set up at three levels, neighbourhood, community and regional, we shared budgets and agreed goals WITH the communities. It transformed policing to a problem solving, local approach. Communication was enhanced and ‘community intelligence’ and ‘neighbourhood tension indicators’ were developed. The outcomes weren’t perfect and never will be, but there was a vast improvement.
 
     I share the above to validate my offerings for informed prayer below. I also share that at another time I was appointed Race Relations Coordinator and worked with the region’s communities to identify ways to encourage recruitment, retention and career progression within the Criminal Justice Agencies. I briefed the relevant Parliamentary body on the outcomes and recommendations. Most findings were as you would expect but some were surprising; commonly held views on institutional racism and poor relations were not always held within the communities themselves. For example housing was a key issue not policing, understanding street population not just actual population was important, previous treatment of past generations shaped opinion not current attitudes and some communities simply did not want to work within the Agencies because their culture deemed the roles inappropriate.
 
     Previous experience and history helps us to understand ways to respond today and how to pray. I would therefore encourage the following for prayer:
 

• For peace, reduction in violence, for protection of all involved and initial resolution
• For clear communication between all parties
• Then a process to accurately and honestly identify causal factors
• Accurate and honest identification of the route problems
• Mutual and agreed understanding of the issues
• Clear listening processes to allow communities to be genuinely heard and authorities to honestly hear and understand – a two-way process
• Involvement of all parties in the process
• Courage for all parties to make steps that change the situation
• Appropriate Government and Community responses at all levels
• Appropriate resources for these steps
• Throughout this time responsible and accurate media reporting where all views are heard and where fear is not promulgated or agendas driven
• Agreed way forward with the means to ensure it is progressed and not put off – accountability and joint goals (a joined up approach)
• This is a complex situation so also prayers for patience
• God’s body, His Church to be actively present

 
     Jesus teaches, and history shows us, that an essential element of any resolution needs to be forgiveness. This prevents bitterness, brings about healing and enables a new beginning. Unforgiveness begets unforgiveness which damages hope. The Lord offers peace and calls us to be ‘peacemakers’ whereby people’s hearts can be changed. May we be active in prayer as a Church and as we pray through the above may we always pray for forgiveness and peace
 
N.B
Please note that in the above I summarise very complex matters; there is much not written. The prayer suggestions are ‘big picture’ prayers; we need to pray very much for the individual – the hurt, isolated, distressed, those in poverty, ill health, those in key roles and so on. Please also note that I speak from an ex-policeman’s and Priest’s perspective – I have been in these situations and processes and have worked with agencies and communities, perpetrators and victims; it is always good to get another person’s view and opinion. I would encourage you to think for yourself and pray in line with God’s Word. We sometimes hear confident or loud (even aggressive) viewpoints expressed and can tend to accept them as factual; sometimes they are not, so let us listen deeply, carefully and lovingly so as to discern God’s truth through the wisdom of His Holy Spirit.
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