| Our Call to Prayer for England With great sadness, I call MCC to prayer for peace in response to the escalating violence in England. The violence started this past Saturday in a London neighborhood after the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan by the police. Mr. Duggan was a 29 year-old father of four children. Rioting has now spread beyond London to at least six other cities and towns across the country - including Bristol, Gloucester, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Nottingham. According to Rev. Margarita Sanchez de Leon (Pastor of MCC South London), hundreds of police and civilians have been injured, some have been killed, and over a thousand people have been arrested. Many people have lost their homes, and many buildings have been burned. Most of the people directly affected or directly involved are young adults, although all of us have been affected and impacted by the violence. There is no easy explanation about what is happening; there are no easy or fast solutions. Like a snowball going down a hill, this violence has been growing for a long time. O God, we pray that peace will prevail in the lives of all those everywhere who are impacted by violence. May the gentleness of your Spirit abide with the pastors and people of our churches in England (Brightwaves MCC, Journey MCC, Living Springs MCC, MCC Bournemouth, MCC East London, MCC Manchester, MCC Newcastle, MCC North London, MCC South London, MCC Torbay & Plymouth, and River of Life MCC). Allow your grace to give hope to those who have lost their homes, businesses, and workplaces; those who live in fear in their homes; the police and rescue service workers who are on the front-line; and even to the perpetrators whose hearts have hardened to the devastating impact that their actions are having on others. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen. Peace, 
Rev. Darlene Garner Elder for the Western Europe/United Kingdom Network 
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